One Shot Wonders
by mikotyzini
Summary: A collection of bite-sized Bumblebee and White Rose one shots written for others. Expect fluff, happiness, kisses, and whatever other romantic/funny/adventurous scenarios people can come up with. (Will be updated at least once a month for the foreseeable future.)
1. The Art of Conversation - WR

**Hey everyone! This new collection will be composed of short oneshots written as rewards/commissions for my loveliest supporters! They'll be shorter than my typical oneshots (which usually spiral out of control...) but I hope you enjoy them regardless!**

 **I'm also going to add brief descriptions to the beginnings of the chapters for that particular oneshot, that way if you're scrolling back through at a later day you can find the one you're looking for. And, as usual, thank you for all the support!**

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 **Summary: Weiss accompanies Ruby to a concert and immediately has...regrets.**

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"Where do we go?"

"WHAT?"

Weiss cringed when Ruby shouted the word back at her, neither of them able to hear over the pounding bass and eardrum-shattering guitar blaring through gigantic speakers placed far too close together.

"WHERE DO WE GO?" Weiss yelled, internally dying at having to raise her voice at Ruby for no good reason.

Whatever Ruby said in response was drowned out by someone shouting a set of words into a microphone - words that might rhyme if Weiss could even distinguish what they were. Throwing her arms up in the air - partly in annoyance and partly because that was the only way she could communicate her frustration with this subpar environment - Weiss shook her head.

'Subpar' was being _nice_ to this... _concert venue_. There were people _everywhere_ , the floor was sticky with some spilled substance she didn't want to think about, and it was _so loud_ they couldn't even hope to carry on a meaningful conversation.

They'd been herded through the gates like cattle several minutes ago, but she was already seriously regretting her decision to accompany Ruby on this ill-fated adventure - until Ruby shrugged her shoulders and giggled.

Weiss couldn't _hear_ the giggle, mind you, but she knew it happened. And knowing that Ruby was happy stirred a small sense of calm within her - enough to keep her frustration at the environment from boiling over.

Regardless, what she wouldn't give for them to be at home…where she could hear Ruby's laughter and they weren't at risk of permanent hearing loss.

When Ruby gestured towards the stage, Weiss sighed (it really didn't matter if it was out loud or not) and motioned for Ruby to lead the way forward. Clearly, the way forward was _into_ a crowd of concert goers and _closer_ to the source of the deafening 'music.'

Thankfully, before Ruby disappeared in the mass of people, she extended one hand back to Weiss - who willingly took it so they wouldn't become separated in the horde of rabid music fans.

"What's up Vale!" a performer with horrible fashion sense yelled from the stage. The words made the crowd scream - for no apparent reason other than they'd just been addressed by someone whose jeans had been partially eaten by a lawnmower.

"This song's for a girl I met last summer," the singer said before strumming the opening lines of the next song. The crowd screamed again - although Weiss had absolutely no idea what this one was for. All she knew was that the closer they grew to the stage, the harder it was to press between warm bodies that bumped into her every chance they got.

Fortunately, Ruby wasn't ambitious enough to drag them to the front of the stage. Instead, she stopped when the crowd grew thick enough to be impassable and pulled Weiss closer, until they were standing side-by-side. They were still a decent distance from the stage, but close enough that they could make out the musicians' faces while they performed their much more mellow love song.

Clapping her hands together in unconcealed glee, Ruby bounced up and down before turning to Weiss with sparkling silver eyes.

"This is one of my favorites!" Ruby shouted. The softer song allowed Weiss to hear the words - a brief, blessed moment of hearing Ruby's voice once more.

"Why's that?"

"Because it reminds me of -"

The rest of Ruby's answer, where she gestured towards Weiss with a smile, was drowned out by the chorus - which blasted the song's intensity from zero to five hundred in a matter of seconds.

Knowing that she'd just missed a cute and/or loving response, Weiss' dissatisfaction with this venue grew as she shook her head. She would have to re-ask these questions when they got home, assuming she was still able to hear the answers.

Giving up on attempting to talk, Ruby sang along with the end of the chorus - which Weiss watched with an impossible-to-hide smile pulling at her lips. She _really_ wished she could hear Ruby singing along...if the band didn't insist upon being so loud.

Suddenly shoved to the side, Weiss collided with Ruby as a rather large man forced his way closer to the stage. He didn't even stop to spare an apology as he continued on his rude and inconsiderate quest, pushing people roughly aside so that he could be closer to the band. He might be big, but Weiss still glared daggers at his back as he left them behind.

She'd offered to buy VIP tickets, where they would have private box seats above the mob of general admission, but Ruby wanted the 'full' concert experience.

Feeling an arm wrap around her waist, Weiss looked over as Ruby pulled her closer - their hips touching while Ruby also stared after the man. Whatever anger Weiss had just felt disappeared under Ruby's protective aura.

Secretly, she loved when Ruby was protective of her. Sure, she could take care of herself, didn't need the help, etc., etc., but she loved the idea that Ruby would defend her over something as silly as being jostled at a concert.

"Are you ok?" Ruby asked, raising her voice to be heard over another slow sequence in the song.

Weiss opened her mouth to respond but didn't bother making an attempt when the girls in the crowd suddenly screamed. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the lead singer tossing his empty water bottle off of the stage - creating a frenzy of fans who wanted to claim it as their own.

There were some avid recyclers in attendance, apparently.

The slow song gave way to a fast one - this one so loud she knew there was no way a conversation could coexist with the music. This was something she needed to accept, that their date night wasn't going to be filled with enjoyable conversation as it normally was.

A prior version of herself would be disappointed and annoyed the entire night, but she tried to find some silver linings to this adventure. One - she knew she never, ever wanted to attend a concert again, unless she was allowed to buy the VIP tickets or brought earplugs. Two - even if they couldn't hold a decent conversation, Weiss was more than happy to watch Ruby's clear delight over whatever song was being played for them now.

As long as Ruby had a good time, this was worth it.

Plus, Ruby was still holding Weiss close - close enough that Weiss' side was warming where they were pressed together. She would never have expected to be comfortable in the midst of a swarm of people, but...she found comfort in Ruby's embrace, no matter the circumstances.

When Ruby turned towards her, Weiss perked up. She _knew_ that look. It was the look preceding some observation or joke that she desperately wanted to hear.

Ruby moved a little closer, but when her mouth moved Weiss heard no words.

There was no good reason for Weiss to be this disappointed that she missed something else Ruby said, but she _was_ disappointed. She tried to mask the feeling as she shook her head, silently saying that she couldn't hear whatever Ruby was saying.

After briefly biting her lip, Ruby leaned all the way forward and put her mouth right to Weiss' ear.

"I think the bassist looks kinda like Blake."

Ruby's lips - moving against Weiss' ear like a kiss - and her warm breaths caused Weiss to involuntary shudder.

Ruby pulled away with a grin, and Weiss managed to sneak a look at the bassist to confirm that Ruby was partially correct. Nodding in confirmation, she turned back to Ruby and gestured towards the lead singer - silently asking Ruby who she thought he might look like.

Willing to play this game, Ruby beamed and pressed her lips to Weiss' ear again.

"He looks kinda like Jaune with crappy clothes, right?"

Again, every word sent tingles of excitement down Weiss' spine, making her eyes flutter shut as the feeling rushed through her. This time she didn't even look at the singer before nodding her head - her eyes too fixed on Ruby to dare turn away.

An idea popped into Ruby's mind then - the thought reflecting in her mirthful eyes as she leaned forward once more.

"Did I tell you about the time I listened to the whole album three times in a row - because I was trying to prove to Yang that I'd never get tired of it? But then I got tired of it?"

As each subsequent word filled Weiss with silent thrill, she secretly wished for it never to stop. It wasn't until Ruby pulled away and grinned that Weiss understood the run-on sentence had been intentional - that her excitement had already been read and was being capitalized on by Ruby.

When Weiss playfully narrowed her eyes, Ruby kissed her on the lips before breaking into more giggles. Again, Weiss couldn't hear the delightful sound, but that hardly mattered.

Maybe concerts weren't so bad, after all...


	2. The Perfect Outfit - BY

**Just a warning, this one is a bit M-rated. It's a little suggestive...but that was the request.**

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 **Pairing: Bumblebee**

 **Summary: Blake and Yang get ready for an awards ceremony. Unsurprisingly, they're going to be late.**

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Walking into the bedroom, the first thing Yang noticed were the dresses - dozens of dresses covering every inch of the bed like some new type of comforter.

The second thing she noticed were the shoes - every heel they owned having jumped out of the closet and scattered themselves across the floor.

"Uh...Blake?" she called out, scratching her head and glancing towards the closed bathroom door. "Was I trying on clothes in my sleep again?"

She chuckled at what was (hopefully) a joke as the door opened, and Blake walked into the room. The moment Yang laid eyes upon her partner/girlfriend-extraordinaire, it felt like someone squeezed the air right out of her lungs.

Blake looked _good_. Like... _really_ good. The kind of good that made nothing else matter.

The dress she was wearing was dark purple - so dark it was nearly black unless the light hit it just right. It left her neckline bare - her collarbone looking so, _so_ attractive - before dropping down and teasing _just enough_ cleavage to make Yang's mouth go dry. It then clung to her stomach, her hips, before ending in a moderate flare just above her knees.

She looked absolutely, jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

She also looked displeased - the feeling given away by her furrowed brow and the pair of black heels she tossed onto the floor with the others.

"Sorry, I'm just...trying to find something to wear." Blake waved a hand towards the contents of their closet strewn across the room with a frown set in place. She looked unhappy, but damn did she look hot - so hot that Yang couldn't understand what could possibly be wrong. How could someone look _that_ attractive and be unhappy? If she could look a _fraction_ of that hot on any given day, she'd die happy.

"Uh, but...what's wrong with what you've got on?" she asked, still openly ogling the beautiful girl in front of her. But, as Blake's girlfriend, she was allowed to do that. (And more, but it was probably best not to think about the details of 'and more' at the moment.)

"It doesn't feel...perfect."

"It doesn't need to be perfect when you are," Yang quipped, grinning as she took a step forward with the intent of giving Blake a kiss. Instead, she frowned when she noticed another detail of Blake's outfit she'd missed.

Admittedly, being so swept up in the neckline and _cleavage_ , she hadn't looked much higher than Blake's collarbone. Now that she did, she was a bit confused.

"Why are you wearing your bow?" she asked, gesturing towards the solid black ribbon covering Blake's ears.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen it. It had been hidden in one of their drawers somewhere, but it hadn't seen the light of day in quite some time. The extended absence led Yang to believe that it was gone for good, so for it to show up tonight...

"l thought it'd be a better style choice," Blake answered.

The response was smooth, but _too_ smooth. It was practiced - maybe not out loud, but Blake had anticipated the question and already rehearsed her answer.

Yang used to fall for those responses, but not anymore.

"It's just a bunch of strangers in a big banquet hall." Brow furrowing, she stepped closer and reached out to take Blake's hand in her own. "We go to these events all the time -"

"But this one is different."

"Uh, how? There's gonna be some people talking, and they'll ask us to come up and accept an award or something -"

"This isn't a team thing though...this is _your_ special moment."

At Blake's serious tone, Yang chuckled.

"They're recognizing me for jumping on top of a King T," she said with a shake of her head. "They're basically just encouraging me to be reckless."

"It was _five_ King Taijitus," Blake replied. "And you didn't even have a weapon. You saved those people's lives."

"Eh, you know, right place at the right time!"

"You could've waited for backup -"

"There was no time for that…" Yang gave Blake a look that begged for the subject to be dropped. She didn't like thinking about what could've happened if she hadn't gone for a random jog near the city walls. All she knew was that she was there, and she was able to help, so she did.

"Still," Blake replied, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Yang's lips while letting the topic slide. "It's _your_ moment that you _deserve_. l don't want to steal any of that attention because of these."

Blake waved towards her ears, which twitched in agreement with the words.

One thing Yang always believed was that if it weren't for those ears, Blake might actually accept that she was beautiful. Instead, it was Yang's task to convince her every single day - a responsibility she took quite seriously. Besides saving the city and all that jazz, it was her _most important_ obligation.

"Blake…" she said, squeezing Blake's hand. "You're beautiful."

When Blake scoffed and tried to turn away, Yang stepped closer and raised her hand to gently touch Blake's cheek - keeping those amber eyes on her.

"You are," she insisted, refusing to let Blake duck around the compliment - not when it was so important for her to hear that being Faunus and beautiful _weren't_ mutually exclusive. "Everything about you is beautiful, and you shouldn't hide it. They want to give me an award or whatever, and I want to walk on stage with my wonderful girlfriend. I want everyone to see how amazing you are."

Yang loved Blake's ears - absolutely adored them. Not only were they so dang adorable, but they broadcasted Blake's emotions as clear as day. Like right now, as those ears swiveled underneath their bow, Yang knew that Blake was both surprised and pleased by the compliments. Which was a promising start.

"If you aren't comfortable going as you," Yang continued. "Then I'm not comfortable accepting an award from them."

"Yang -"

"l don't want to go if you have to hide who you are," she added. "l want them to see the beautiful girl I get to spend my life with! And, selfishly, I want them to be jealous when they see how freaking hot you are."

Stepping away, Yang nodded towards the dress Blake was wearing - and managed to get a smile out of her in the process.

"Please…" Blake said, giving one of Yang's shoulders a playful shove. "Put on any of these dresses and you'll be ten times more attractive than me."

The compliment was incorrect, but Yang still loved that Blake thought she was attractive. It was one of her life goals, after all! Besides saving the city and making sure Blake always knew she was beautiful, of course.

Moving forward, Yang wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and smiled while those thoughtful amber eyes looked up at her. From Blake's eyes and the feeling in the room, she knew she'd almost won this 'argument.' The only thing left to do was put on the finishing touch - say the words Blake couldn't possibly ignore.

"I love you," Yang said, gently gripping Blake's sides for emphasis. "I love you for who you are, and that includes those fuzzy guys up there." Flicking her eyes to Blake's ears and back, Yang smiled when Blake let out a soft sigh.

"It's completely up to you, and I'll support you no matter what," Yang added, even though she knew by now that Blake would never do anything she didn't want to. "But I want you to know that I'm completely in love with the _real_ you - and I think you're most beautiful when you're being yourself."

For a long moment, Blake said nothing while looking at Yang with thoughtful eyes and slightly moving ears. But when she eventually smiled, Yang knew her daily mission was complete.

"I guess we should lose the bow then," Blake whispered, stepping closer and giving Yang a meaningful glance before twitching her ears.

Catching on, Yang's heart thundered in her chest. No matter how many times this had happened in the past, she was always amazed that Blake allowed her to do something so...personal and intimate.

Reaching up, Yang gently untied the ribbon from Blake's ears, smiling at their joyful swivels as they were freed from their unnecessary confinement. Just seeing those fuzzy black ears, back in the light where they belonged, sent a bolt of desire shooting through her.

The moment the ribbon fell away, she dropped it on the floor and kissed Blake, pressing her lips to Blake's in the only way she could think to express how happy that small moment made her.

When Blake returned the kiss, a blaze flared up in Yang's chest, taking over her heart as she wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and pulled her closer. The two of them were pressed together now - only thin lines of fabric separating their skin - as Blake wrapped her arms around Yang's neck and dragged her closer, deepening the kiss at the same instant.

This was Blake's own way of expressing gratitude...for encouraging her to remain true to herself in a world no always made for her. It was a role Yang was more than willing to take, and she was more than willing to accept Blake's thanks.

Opening her mouth as Blake's tongue snaked inside, Yang felt the temperature of her skin rising while her hands roved over Blake's dress, savoring the fabric under her fingertips but craving much more.

Running her hands up Blake's sides and hearing the soft moan slip out, Yang wasted no time moving her hands to Blake's back and unclasping her dress.

"Mm -" Blake got out, briefly separating from the kiss but tilting her head to allow Yang to kiss her neck instead. "We don't - have time -"

"Then we'll make time," Yang murmured against Blake's neck, taking a light bite and smirking when Blake let out another soft moan of pleasure.

When Blake didn't complain about their inevitable delay and instead dropped her hands to run them underneath Yang's shirt, Yang immediately pulled the zipper of the dress all the way down while stepping forward - backing Blake towards the bed as their lips crashed together once more.

Their kisses grew more fervent and passionate - one hardly stopped before the next began, both of them struggling to fit as many as they could into as short a span as possible. Moving the dress off of Blake's shoulders, Yang hardly noticed it crumple to a pile on the floor before Blake stepped backward out of it. Blake then pulled herself lithely onto the bed while Yang crawled right on top of her - neither of them wanting to separate their lips for longer than necessary.

With the dress out of the way, Yang savored the feeling in Blake's soft skin while running her hands over every inch of bare space uncovered. When she ran a hand up Blake's stomach and Blake arched her back into the feeling, Yang finally broke away from Blake's lips and nibbled at her ear.

"I love you," Yang whispered before trailing kisses down Blake's neck, hearing their combined labored breathing while the temperature in the room continued to climb.

Feeling a tug at her shirt, she paused and allowed Blake to pull it over her head before she leaned down to take Blake's lips with her own once more. Blake's fingers ran down her back, lightly scratching in an irresistibly pleasurable way as their kisses continued.

By this point, Yang could hardly remember what led them here - melding together on a pile of discarded dresses. All she knew was that the girl underneath her had captured her heart and then some.

"Yang -" Blake said, finally breaking the kiss and reaching up to tenderly push several strands of hair behind Yang's ear. She could hardly stand the way Blake was looking at her right now - those amber eyes filled with more gratitude and appreciation than she could ever deserve.

"Thank you," Blake whispered, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths while she trailed her fingers down Yang's neck.

At Blake's smile, Yang beamed as happiness and love radiated through her. Leaning down, she pressed one long, loving kiss to Blake's lips before moving to the side.

"Don't thank me yet," Yang whispered, brushing her lips against Blake's ear and smiling at the shudder that ran underneath her fingertips as she ran her hand down Blake's body.

She didn't care much about being called a hero - she helped because she was capable of it - but when it came to Blake...if she could convince Blake to accept her true beauty, even just for one incredible night, it felt like she'd accomplished something truly incredible.

It was just an added benefit that it was really, _really_ enjoyable for her too.


	3. Operation Birthday - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee**

 **Summary: Yang Xiao Long does NOT...not celebrate birthdays. Especially when it's her partner's special day.**

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"Are you nearly finished, Miss Xiao Long?"

"Yup!" Yang called out, opening one last drawer and sticking a file in at random. No one could prove she was the one who did everything out of order, right?

That was the hope...otherwise Professor Goodwitch would be mad. And then Yang would be sentenced to even more detention, with even more filing. On the plus side, she'd get to spend more time with all these dusty files that served zero purpose other than punishment! 'Death by papercut' wasn't exactly a thrilling way to go, but at least it was unique.

While shoving the file drawer closed, her eyes caught a familiar word - 'Bella.' Shooting a glance towards Professor Goodwitch and finding the woman's back temporarily turned, Yang pulled out the file and let it fall open in front of her.

Whoops. Total mistake. But now that it was open, might as well take a look…

The word stuck out to her because 'Bella' meant one - and only one - thing.

Ok, it meant a lot of things, but in her mind, it meant only one thing. One person, to be exact - Blake Belladonna, AKA Yang's partner.

AKA Miss Mysterious.

AKA Ninja-Extraordinaire.

AKA the person whose Beacon application Yang was looking at right now!

"No way…" she breathed out, her eyes widening at the discovery. She'd always assumed Beacon had zero information on Blake, but the professors were too embarrassed to admit that to each other. So they just kept teaching her, never asking but always wondering where Blake came from.

That was wrong! Here was tangible proof in Blake's own handwriting!

Knowing she didn't have much time, Yang read the details on the form as fast as possible, committing it to memory before Professor Goodwitch came over to check on her.

Name, address, parents, schooling, birthdate -

Wait a second. Birthdate?

Hearing Professor Goodwitch's heels click closer, Yang memorized the date, flipped the file closed, and shoved it back in place.

"Done!" she declared, pushing the drawer closed and giving her professor a grin. "Have anything else for me?"

One of the best ways to deflect suspicion was by offering help. At least, that was Yang's thinking! And it worked like a charm. Even though Professor Goodwitch looked vaguely suspicious, she shook her head and gestured towards the door of the office.

"That's all for today. You may leave, but please exercise better judgment next time."

"No more pranks in the cafeteria - got it!" Backing towards the door, Yang gave Professor Goodwitch a thumbs up before hurrying out of the hall of records, breathing a sigh of relief as she left the stale room behind.

As soon as she rounded the corner - free for the afternoon - her unintended discovery took over her thoughts. Blake's birthday! She hadn't realized until just a few minutes ago that she didn't know Blake's birthday. Now she did - and what good timing, considering it was in a couple weeks!

But...why hadn't Blake mentioned it?

Off the top of her head, Yang could think of two reasons. One - Blake didn't want it to be a big deal. Two - Blake didn't want anyone else to know for reasons.

By now, Yang stopped asking for reasons and just accepted that Blake liked things a particular way. There was nothing wrong with that - they were different people, after all!

Blake probably had reasons...and Yang wished she could let it go, but it was like the date had burned into the back of her eyelids. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it as if the paper was hovering in the air in front of her.

Blake's birthday was coming up, and birthdays were a time of celebration. They didn't need to have a party, and it didn't need to be a big deal, but Yang needed to do something for her partner - give a gift or token of appreciation or something.

If she hadn't known about it, she'd be ok letting the day pass without anything happening. But she did know. And Yang Xiao Long did not...not celebrate birthdays.

They were different people, after all…

Over the course of the next couple weeks, a low-key plan developed while Yang kept a watchful eye on her partner. If Blake brought up the special day, Yang would jump on the opportunity like fresh pancakes. But she didn't want to force Blake into divulging the information, so she sat back and not-so-patiently waited - searching for clues or hints or any word that was remotely birthday related.

The closer the day drew with no birthday mentions being made, the less likely it seemed that Blake would bring it up on her own. But Yang would wait and give Blake every opportunity to tell them.

Of course, waiting for Blake to freely offer personal information seemed pretty doomed from the start. But Yang would wait! In the meantime, she would keep her mouth shut and plan a teeny, tiny, mini celebration that no one else needed to know about. She didn't have much experience planning tiny surprise parties, but she'd figure it out for Blake.

And what birthday was complete without a gift?

Using her expert gift-giving skills, Yang thought of the perfect gift - not that Blake was hard to think of ideas for. There was a new book she mentioned a while ago, but they hadn't had time to get away from Beacon so she could buy it.

Fortunately, Blake wasn't the only avid reader at Beacon.

After asking around for a couple days, Yang found a copy already on campus. Luckily enough, Velvet had just finished reading it and was willing to sell it to Yang for the reasonable price of...twice what she bought it for.

Ok, Velvet was willing to give it away for free, but when Yang insisted on paying something it was Coco who fleeced her. But it was totally worth it!

Armed with a gift and a plan, Yang watched the day of Blake's birthday arrive with zero fanfare. Everyone woke up, like normal, and got ready for the day, like normal. She held out hope that Blake would mention something - a quick and completely unexpected 'by the way, it's my birthday' (Blake did like the shock factor…) - but no dice.

Time to launch Operation Birthday.

While Blake was in the bathroom getting ready, and Weiss went across the hall to give Team JNPR a nice, frosty wake-up call (seriously, how could they sleep through so many alarms?), Yang caught Ruby's attention as she flew across the room.

"Hey Ruby," Yang said, motioning her sister over. "l need you and Weiss to take a hike."

"But we just went on a hike last week!" Ruby whined. Raising a finger to her lips, Yang shushed the complaint before explaining in a softer voice.

"Not an actual hike. Just stay out of the room for a while."

"Oh," Ruby replied, immediately losing her pout. "Uh, ok. We can work on that project - collecting some plants from the forest?"

"Perfect. Make a day of it then?"

"Sure! But...why do we have to leave?"

"l can't tell you that now. But later!"

Ruby pursed her lips but nodded all the same. She was always willing to go along with Yang's ideas, even if that meant she wouldn't understand until later. That's what made her the perfect minion for pranks - if she got caught, her answers were so innocent that she hardly ever got in trouble.

Of course, that meant Yang got in twice as much trouble, but it was worth it! Usually.

Hearing the dorm door open, she nodded in that direction and moved out of Ruby's way.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby said, hopping over to Weiss' side as soon as she re-entered the room. "Can we go collect those plants today? The ones for class?"

"If you want to -"

"And maybe we can bring some snacks and have a picnic in the woods!" Ruby added with a big smile. For a second, Weiss was confused by the suggestion, but eventually she shook her head and smiled.

"If that's what you want to do," she replied, emptying out Ruby's (already mostly empty) backpack before handing it over. Through that unspoken action, Ruby quickly opened the bag and began filling it with snacks from her overflowing 'snack drawer.'

While Ruby did that, Yang shook her head in disbelief at the mellow interaction. It was remarkable how willingly Weiss went along with Ruby's suggestions. If Yang floated that idea, it would be shot down in a blaze of burning fury. When Ruby made the suggestion, Weiss agreed and actually looked happy about it.

What did Ruby know that Yang didn't? Maybe she could teach Yang a thing or two...but first - Operation Birthday!

"See you later!" Yang said, waving Ruby and Weiss out of the room and closing the door behind them. Turning around, she looked at the empty room with a satisfied smile.

What better way to spend the day than in a quiet room, curled up in bed with a new book?

Yang could think of a lot of other ways she'd rather spend the day, but it wasn't her birthday. Instead, she tossed some magazines onto her bed so she'd have something to flip through (quietly) while Blake focused on her new book.

Hearing the bathroom door open, she turned and smiled as Blake walked into the room. Blake, however, looked around in confusion.

"Where'd they go?" she asked while walking to her bed.

"They went to work on Professor Oobleck's project," Yang replied with a grin as her excitement grew. She loved giving presents. "They'll be gone all morning, so we get the room to ourselves!"

The response caught Blake's full attention, her amber eyes fixating on Yang.

"Really?" she asked, and Yang heard the slightest bit of excitement in the response. Part one was a success - Blake was silently thrilled to have a quiet day for reading. Now for the best part...

"Yup!" Yang answered with a nod. "And, to make your day even better -" Opening her desk drawer and pulling out the hastily-wrapped book, she extended it to Blake with a smile. "This is for you."

It probably didn't look like a birthday gift since she'd used regular paper to wrap it (she found the book but no wrapping paper on Beacons grounds), but she drew cute purple hearts on it to make it more festive!

Or the hearts made it more confusing, because Blake turned the gift over in her hands several times before finally pulling at the paper to unwrap it. And, since Yang was such a good gift-wrapper, the paper fell away in one piece and left the book laying in Blake's hands.

"What?" was Blake's first response as she met Yang's gaze. "What's this for?"

One thing Yang failed to consider was if Blake had ever received birthday gifts - maybe that wasn't something Blake's family did? Or maybe she'd forgotten that people give gifts for birthdays? Yang knew the past few years hadn't been a walk in the park for Blake, and birthdays probably weren't a huge deal when living on the other side of the law, so maybe she'd forgotten the tradition?

"It's a present for your birthday!" Yang explained with a smile, but Blake continued to look confused.

"My birthday?"

"Yeah! I know you didn't want to make a big deal of it or anything, but I found your Beacon application when I had to file all that stuff and couldn't not do something to celebrate! So I got you this new book and an empty room to read it in." Pausing her hasty explanation, Yang waved a hand around the room before adding, "Well, almost empty room…"

Blake's gaze followed the path of Yang's hand before understanding dawned in her eyes. With a smile, she looked at Yang and shook her head.

"Today's not my birthday, Yang."

"Uh, but -"

"l made up almost everything on the application," Blake added, her amusement growing while Yang's confusion did. "I think only my name was correct."

While Blake patiently waited, Yang raced through about a thousand questions until finally stumbling over one.

"But why would you do that?"

"l don't know...because I didn't want someone snooping through files to find out everything about me?" Blake replied, looking fairly smug at how this had turned out. "Thank you though. This is very sweet of you," she added, holding up the book and smiling.

The compliment warmed Yang's cheeks, and she ran a hand through her hair before letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, well...you're welcome," she replied, still not completely sure what had just happened but going with the flow. "I know Weiss tries to have that whole 'best partner' thing on lock, but I like to think I can give her a run for her money."

Yang hoped for a response - something to say she was doing ok as a partner. She really wanted to be doing ok, but it was hard to tell sometimes. She was either doing ok or royally messing up.

Instead of saying anything, Blake reached out and pulled Yang into a gentle hug - which was the best answer she could've ever hoped for.

"You're the best partner for me," Blake whispered before pulling away with another smile.

Yang smiled on cue, thrilled that her not-birthday birthday gift went over so well - and ecstatic that she wasn't failing miserably as a partner. They were still learning more about each other and finding new ways to work together, but she couldn't be happier with the person she was spending the next few years with.

"Wait," she said when a thought popped into her head. "When is your actual birthday?"

Blake's smile instantly turned into a smirk.

"Can't you find out?"

Blake's eyes dancing in delight while Yang scoffed at the subtle challenge.

"Of course I can," she replied, trying to sound confident even though she wasn't. Blake knew it too - she gave Yang one of those looks before sitting down on her bed and flipping open her new book.

While Blake lost herself in the words on the page, Yang tried to think of a way to find Blake's real birthday. If she hadn't put it on the Beacon application...where could it possibly be?

Operation Figure Out Blake's Birthday was about to commence.

Sneaking another peek at Blake - who already had a content smile tugging at her lips - Yang knew she'd be spending a lot of time trying to pry the information from Blake's steel trap of a mind. When that was unsuccessful - which it would inevitably be - well...they could always celebrate on this day again next year.

Maybe she could convince Blake to tell her as a graduation gift...


	4. Stronger Together - WR

**Pairing: White Rose (ish)  
** **Summary: With a break in the action, Ruby comes to terms with what's going on around her with the help of a certain partner.**

* * *

After running and running and running for what felt like forever, they'd finally reached a break - a chance to catch their breath. The battle was over. The fighting was over. They could all take a deep breath and celebrate the fact that they were safe, for now.

Ruby knew this was only an intermission - that the worst was yet to come. She knew that she should be resting - recuperating - recovering. Then why did it feel like she couldn't breathe?

Sitting next to Yang, she felt her chest tightening, making each inhale more difficult than it should be. Yang hadn't noticed yet, and Ruby didn't want her to notice. This was the last thing Yang needed to worry about right now.

Scrambling to her feet, Ruby tried taking another breath, but her lungs felt like they only half-inflated.

"I'm gonna find something to eat," she said, making up any excuse to leave before she caused a scene.

Yang nodded but didn't say anything in response. She probably felt like Ruby did - nearly too tired to speak. And, after what she just went through, Yang deserved to rest. Yang needed this time to recover.

Meanwhile, Ruby hurried to the closest hallway and made her escape - not knowing where she was going except for _away_ , searching for a place where it was easier to breathe. The voices from the atrium faded away and left her with only the sound of her footsteps, but the air grew heavier the further she walked. It felt like she was trying to inhale syrup, but getting no oxygen as her lungs and chest grew tighter and tighter.

She spurred her legs faster, but she had no idea where she was going. This place was a maze - a winding path of twists and turns that did nothing to release the vice around her lungs.

When she could hardly breathe anymore, she tried the handle on the nearest door, found it unlocked, and ducked inside an empty, dark room. Two windows on the far wall let in enough moonlight for her to see by, but otherwise, it was just a regular room filled with desks and chairs.

Closing the door - sealing herself in silence - she rushed to the darkest corner of the room, sat down on the floor, and buried her head in her hands.

It was so hard to breathe.

She wanted to cry, but she didn't deserve to cry. What did she have to cry about? She was fine. So many others had it worse than she did. She hadn't lost her partner, or an arm, or her life. She needed to be strong for them. At least, she couldn't let them see that she was weak.

The next breath she took hardly filled her lungs as her chest constricted with a rush of emotions. The beginning of a sob was in her exhale, and her eyes burned with unshed tears. Clenching her hands into fists, she struggled to figure out the primary cause of her sadness. Was it Pyrrha? Penny? Yang? Weiss? All of the above and so much more?

When she blinked, the first tear fell onto the top of her hand.

And then the door to the room burst open.

Looking up in surprise, Ruby found Weiss walking over - her heels clicking against the floor in a familiar and comforting way.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, hey Weiss!" Scrambling to her feet and wiping her eyes, Ruby searched for the first weird thing to say that wasn't what she was actually doing. "Yang told me one of these rooms is haunted, so I was just...uh, checking it out."

When had she gotten so good at lying? That skill must've come with her ability to hide her emotions - something she'd never been good at before...before everything fell apart.

"By yourself?" Tilting her head, Weiss stopped in front of Ruby and crossed her arms over her chest. "But you can't even listen to ghost stories without having nightmares."

The moment Weiss crossed her arms, Ruby saw the patch of red - the remnants of a wound that had nearly taken someone else away from her. Her face contorted in pain at the thought, but she quickly forced a smile.

"Ah well, you know, a lot of things have changed!"

The response was painfully true, and Ruby felt it like a knife in her heart.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, risking another glance at Weiss while trying to push her emotions away.

"l was looking for you." As usual, Weiss was no-nonsense with her words - that was just one of the reasons Ruby really liked her. "Are you ok?"

Ruby let out a small laugh at the question, surprising herself by how real it sounded.

"I'm fine, Weiss!" she said, keeping her voice chipper even though she could still feel emotions clutching at her chest. But the forced happiness lasted only a second before her mood grew more somber - as her desire for honesty kicked in. "I mean...there are a lot of other people to worry about."

Ruby's eyes flitted to the dark spot on Weiss' torso again, but immediately moved away when more tears threatened and a labored exhale slipped past her lips. The silence that followed only heightened the emotions she was trying to contain - bringing them closer to the surface, where they threatened to spill over.

A part of her wished that Weiss would leave so she could get this over with and feel a little better - so she could finally breathe again.

Another part of her really wanted Weiss to stay.

"Do you remember that time we tried to figure out who accidentally left the door to our room open?" Weiss finally asked. Confused by the question, Ruby merely nodded before Weiss continued. "We spent so long debating who did it - each of us presenting our cases and arguing for or against each other. I was convinced it was Yang - Yang was convinced it was me. Blake only knew it wasn't her."

Thinking about the memory, Weiss shook her head and met Ruby's gaze. "Do you know what this has in common with that time?"

Ruby tried to think of a happy comeback, but Weiss quickly cut her off.

"You lied," Weiss said, her tone firm with certainty as her eyes searched Ruby's. The next second, the firmness disappeared, and Weiss' eyes softened as she uncrossed her arms and held up her hands - the gesture silently imploring Ruby to be forthcoming. "What's wrong, Ruby?"

Technically, nothing was wrong. She was just fine. She was standing here just fine, talking just fine, walking just fine. But sometimes she couldn't breathe...because there were moments - memories - that she couldn't let go of.

She hadn't been able to save Penny. She hadn't been able to save Pyrrha, or help Yang - and Blake was gone and Weiss was gone and Jaune was sad and _everyone_ had more reasons to be sadder than her but she was _still sad_.

"I - just…"

That was all Ruby got out before the tears started.

"Oh, Ruby."

Arms wrapped around her as Weiss pulled her close for a hug. That's when she really lost it, and the tears started harder than she could remember.

She didn't deserve to be sad, but all these horrible things were happening everywhere around her - hurting the people she cared about, taking away the people she cared about. She tried so hard not to think about it, because it hurt. It hurt to think about the pain everyone was suffering through - all because she wasn't good enough. Because she wasn't strong enough, or fast enough, or smart enough to save the people she loved.

"You a-almost died," she sputtered through the tears, burying her face in Weiss' hair and pulling her closer, grasping onto her for support.

"But I didn't. I'm still right here."

Thank Grimm for that. But another few seconds and Weiss would also be gone, leaving Ruby just like so many others. What would Ruby do if she lost Weiss, too?

"I'm right here," Weiss said again, holding Ruby tightly while she cried. "I'm still here...I'm just fine…"

At least Ruby was breathing now - but her breaths came in sobs that shook her shoulders while Weiss hugged her close. It felt like the wounds in her heart were finally bleeding, and her tears were making up for lost time.

Everything hurt. Every memory - every missed opportunity. Every failure.

She wanted to help others - that's why she wanted to become a huntress. Everyone around her got hurt instead.

"I...couldn't...save you…" she struggled to get out - her most recent failure playing over and over in her mind. Once again, when she was needed by someone she loved, all she could do was watch...completely and utterly helpless.

"You can't save everyone, Ruby," Weiss whispered as her hand ran up and down Ruby's back, providing comfort and solace that dulled the edge of her sorrow. "You can't save everyone...and that's ok. That's ok."

"B-but I-"

"Not 'but's," Weiss cut in, nuzzling into Ruby's hair before letting out a soft sigh. "We all know how strong you are, Ruby" she whispered. "But that doesn't mean you need to be strong all the time...that's why we have partners - so we can lean on each other for strength and support. Please don't try to do this all on your own..."

Clenching her eyes shut at the words, Ruby felt two big tears slip out. She didn't want to be a burden to her teammates. She didn't want to be a burden to her friends. But as Weiss' hand worked reassurance into her veins, Ruby heard her sobs quiet and felt her tears slow. The vice around her chest loosened, and she took one full, shaky breath of air.

Weiss was right. Ruby was scared, and she was sad, but she wasn't alone. They were supposed to lean on their teammates and partners when they needed help, not bottle those feelings up and try to make it on their own.

She'd been doing it all wrong.

But now Weiss was here with her - and they stood there for a long, long time - long enough for Ruby's breathing to return to normal and her tears to stop falling. Whatever strength they had left between the two of them was shared. Whatever resolve they had left was shared. Whatever they had left, they shared.

Finally finding a sense of calm, Ruby pulled away from Weiss' embrace and sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Weiss' eyes were still filled with concern, but her expression relaxed when Ruby smiled - and it was a much easier smile than before.

"Thanks, Weiss."

"You're welcome, Ruby. That's what I'm here for."

That's what partners were for - and Weiss was the very best partner Ruby could've hoped for.

Sniffling one more time, Ruby dried her eyes and smiled again, feeling a thread of happiness return to her.

"And if you ever need a shoulder to cry on," she said before pointing a thumb towards her chest. "I'm here for you!"

Huffing at the response, Weiss flipped her ponytail and crossed her arms - but then she gave Ruby a much softer expression.

"l might take you up on that sometime."

Ruby's sadness retreated - moving back to the portion of her heart it had taken over as its permanent residence. But it was ok if it stayed. She knew it was there, and she knew who to turn to when it tried to take over her heart and lungs again.

"Do you feel better now?" Weiss asked, nodding after Ruby smiled in response. "Good."

And with that, Ruby's stomach let out a loud grumble, making Weiss roll her eyes and grab Ruby's hand.

"Come on, let's find you some food."


	5. Lessons Learned - Y

**Pairing: very subtle Bumblebee and White Rose  
Summary: Yang hates when people get away with picking on those she loves. Thankfully, she might have a new sidekick.**

* * *

"You're doing it wrong again."

"What do you mean 'again'?" Yang asked, giving Weiss a puzzled look. "This is the first time I've tried it!"

Bristling at the response, Weiss checked her memory and then unfurrowed her brow.

"Oh. l guess I just assumed you'd already done it wrong."

"Well _now_ you're right," Yang replied, pulling the piece of paper back to her side of the table and scratching out the homework problem she'd spent the past fifteen minutes trying to solve.

If there was one good thing about having Weiss on their team, it was that they had someone to check all their assignments. There might be some other good things too, but that was the only one Yang had found so far. Well, that and Weiss had lots of money - but that one was obvious.

"Read this first." Weiss slid a notebook over to Yang, who looked at it and found notes on this particular subject. "It might help."

"Thanks, Weiss!"

Again, Weiss bristled at the gratitude, but it was a much softer bristle than when they'd started school. It was almost as if she was...becoming a nicer person. Don't tell her that though. She'll freeze your heart and take it right out of your chest.

Before reading the notes, however, a set of soft voices pulled Yang's attention to the side - where Blake and Ruby appeared from one of the library's many aisles. The two whispered to each other about something - Ruby waving her singular book through the air while Blake smiled and used both arms to hold her stack of hand-selected novels.

The two looked so cute and happy Yang couldn't help but smile. She loved that two of her favorite people in the world got along so well. She loved that Ruby had a friend, and she loved that Blake had a friend. That equation included Weiss somewhere, but sometimes it was hard to tell if Weiss _wanted_ to be friends or not. At least, that's how Yang felt.

The two of them had learned how to cohabitate and cooperate, but _something_ kept them from getting on the same page with each other. Weiss was great with Ruby and Blake - and Yang was great with Ruby and Blake. Mix Weiss and Yang together though and either they got on each other's nerves, or nothing really happened.

Oh well. That's what all the practice and training was for. Eventually, they'd figure it out!

"Incoming..."

At Weiss' soft word, Yang spotted the disturbance before it happened. Beacon's resident asshole - a certain douchebag by the name of Cardin Winchester - had just walked into the library with two of his ever-present sidekicks. Russel and Sky were shoving each other over something while Cardin led the way to the far side of the room.

Their path would lead them directly past Ruby and Blake and, from the way Cardin quickly scanned the room to locate Yang, she knew she wasn't going to like what was about to happen.

Her pulse preemptively skyrocketed as Cardin approached her teammates and pretended to stumble. His acting was horrible, but he accomplished what he wanted to do - reaching out and knocking the stack of books from Blake's hands. They fell to the ground in a loud clatter, and Yang heard two chairs screech across the floor as she and Weiss shot to their feet.

"Hey!" Ruby shouted while Blake glared daggers. "That wasn't very nice!"

"Shove it, pipsqueak. No one cares about you anyway," Cardin said before laughing, catching Yang's eye and smirking as he walked away.

Her blood boiled as she slammed a fist down on the chair beside her - breaking the wooden back in two. But that was the least of her concerns as she stepped away from the table, ready to throttle the boy within an inch of his life.

She'd had _enough_ of Cardin picking on her teammates. And for him to have the balls to do it right in front of her? That was the last mistake he'd ever make.

At least, that was her intent. Instead, her feet froze and her revenge was put on hold with the library door opened again and someone else walked into the room.

Professor Goodwitch had just arrived, whether because she was supposed to meet someone or because she had impeccable timing to find trouble before it happened, Yang didn't know. All she knew was that Cardin must have known Professor Goodwitch would walk in right after him, otherwise he would never be so bold.

Burning holes into his back, Yang ground her teeth in anger when he actually looked over his shoulder and smirked at her - knowing that he'd gotten away with it again. Yang couldn't retaliate now, not with Professor Goodwitch around. If she did anything, it would look completely unprovoked - and then she'd get detention for the next year or worse, kicked out of school.

Clenching her fist in anger, she hurried over to her teammates instead, with Weiss right on her heels. When Weiss gently touched Ruby's elbow in a show of support, Yang knelt down and helped Blake scoop the books off the ground.

Meanwhile, she seethed - red bleeding into her vision as she imagined teaching Cardin lesson after lesson - each more painful than the last.

"It's ok, Yang," Blake whispered.

"What?" Yang asked, blinking the red away. "Yeah. I mean, I'm fine."

Chuckling at the lie, Blake picked up the last book and stood up.

"I can feel you steaming," she said, reaching out to take the two books from Yang's hands. "He's a jerk, but we already knew that. He'll never change."

Furrowing her brow at the words, Yang glanced at Ruby - who Weiss already had smiling again - before turning back to Blake.

"Right," she said, forcing a smile she didn't really feel. But Blake accepted the response with a slight smile of her own before walking over to their study table as if nothing had happened. Ruby immediately hopped after her - ready to resume whatever conversation they'd been having before they were so rudely interrupted.

Left standing there with Weiss, Yang ground her jaw together and squeezed her fist even tighter.

There was no such thing as 'harmless' bullying. Bullying was bullying, and the intent behind it was cruel. Cardin wanted to show that he was above them - that he could get away with it because he was more powerful than them. He picked moments when there could be no retaliation, constantly breaking down those who were _weaker_ than him.

Yang would love to tear his arm off and punch him with it.

Ruby was the best fighter in their year, if not the school. Blake had been through horrors they couldn't even have nightmares about.

So of course Yang was steaming. That privileged asshole thought he was better than them? That was _her_ partner and _her_ little sister. And they should be able to walk across the library without being bullied. They should be able to eat lunch in the cafeteria without having jeers thrown their way.

But, for as big of an idiot as Cardin was, Yang had to hand it to him for being smart when it came to getting away with this bullshit. What she wouldn't give for the chance to teach him one big, permanent lesson...

"I'm going to speak with Professor Goodwitch," Weiss said, keeping her voice low so they weren't overheard. When Yang started to protest telling a teacher, she was met with a stern look.

"You have five minutes."

With nothing more, Weiss spun on her heel and walked over to Professor Goodwitch. As Yang watched, Weiss turned on her Schnee-infused charm and directed their professor's attention away from the library by gesturing towards the door.

Quickly understanding what Weiss was doing, Yang grinned and turned around. No way she wasted a golden opportunity like this.

Pinpointing Cardin - sitting at one of the far tables with his two cronies - Yang stalked across the library while her palms heated up. The idiot had his back to her, which showed just how arrogant he was. He thought he got away with it. He thought he was safe.

Well, he had another think coming.

Russel saw her first, and his eyes widened in surprise. He opened his mouth to warn his teammate, but it was too late. Reaching the table, Yang grabbed Cardin by the neck and knocked his forehead into the textbook sitting in front of him before yanking him out of his seat. He yelped in surprise and grabbed his forehead in pain, but she quickly shoved him down the nearest aisle before turning him around and slamming him into the bookshelf. It rocked but remained standing as she wrapped her left hand around his throat and squeezed - not enough to hurt him, but enough that he wouldn't want to move.

"Hi Cardin," she said, smiling at the fear in his eyes as she jerked his face down to eye-level. "Bet you didn't expect this to happen, did you?"

"Let - go," he wheezed. He tried to remove her hand, but when her grip tightened, he immediately gave up. His teammates appeared at the end of the aisle - ready to help - but Yang pointed to them with her free hand.

"I'd stop right there if I were you," she warned. And they stopped on cue - because they really were nothing more than lap dogs.

With all three frozen and waiting for her to speak, she was the one who smirked this time.

Who had the power now?

"Now Cardin, I'll ask you _nicely_ -" she began, squeezed just a bit at the word. "To leave my teammates _alone._ And by alone, I mean you don't even _look_ at them, let alone _speak_ to them again - got it?"

When he stared at her, she gave him a little shake that made him grimace in discomfort.

"I need to hear you say it," she said, easing her grip on his throat so he could speak. Instead of responding, he decided to be stubborn and stare at her for a long time, scowling in anger.

Quickly losing her patience, Yang brought his face closer to hers - focusing on the heat rushing through her veins as her vision tinted red and her skin started to burn.

"I don't have all day," she growled, watching alarm grow in his eyes.

By now, most of Beacon knew not to mess with her when her semblance overheated. What they didn't know was that she had far greater control over it than she'd had in the past - definitely due to Blake's help and influence. But Weiss thought that they should just let everyone continue to believe Yang was a loose cannon. Something about a 'competitive advantage.'

Well, it was certainly coming in handy right now.

"Cardin -" she seethed, drawing her free hand in a fist.

"Got it!" he said, raising his arms to block the blow that was never to come.

"Perfect." Smiling - as if this was a nice conversation between friends - she jerked him forward to whisper in his ear. "But if you _do_...I'll make sure you never speak again."

Still smiling, she released him, and he staggered back while rubbing his throat.

"Glad we could come to an agreement," she said. "Now leave."

He scowled and, for a moment, looked like he wanted to say something. Instead, he scampered off with his teammates - the three of them collecting their belongings before hurrying towards the exit.

Satisfied with how that had gone, Yang walked back to her team and sat next to Blake right as Professor Goodwitch and Weiss walked back into the library.

"Thank you very much, Professor," Weiss said before disengaging and strolling over to the table. There was no way to tell what she'd just done - at least, not until she sent Yang a questioning look. When Yang gave a thumbs up, Weiss nodded in content as she sat down and reached over to check Ruby's homework.

"Feel better?" Blake asked, keeping her voice library-soft while looking at Yang. Feeling a huge weight off her shoulders, Yang let out a big sigh and then smiled.

"Much."

"Good."

"But if he ever does something like that to you again..."

"You'll make sure he never speaks again," Blake finished for her. When Yang's mouth dropped open, Blake twitched one ear. "l heard you."

Yang expected there to be more than that - a scolding of some sort for stooping to Cardin's level. Instead, Blake went back to reading, but not before reaching over and holding Yang's hand underneath the table.

The feeling instantly calmed Yang to the point of becoming a pacifist. Well... _almost_ to the point of becoming a pacifist. If a little violence was needed to protect the people she loved, she was always willing to do it. Family first.

"How did Ruby do this right on the first attempt, but Yang keeps doing it wrong?"

Her smile dropping, Yang looked across the table at Weiss.

"I did it wrong _one time_ ," she pointed out. "And you probably gave Ruby your notes forever ago!"

"You totally did," Ruby said before giggling, not at all perturbed by spilling the beans on her partner.

Yang gave Weiss a triumphant look while she tried to piece together a way out of the conversation. But, instead of coming up with an excuse, she caught Yang's eye and smiled.

"Then you'd better start reading," she said, nodding towards her notebook before turning back to Ruby with a flip of her hair.

Surprised by the lack of rebuttal, Yang smiled while pulling the notes closer.

It was weird to owe Weiss thanks, but that's how Yang felt right now. If it hadn't been for Weiss' ability to distract Professor Goodwitch, she never would've been able to have a 'chat' with Cardin. Which meant that he'd continue to bully Ruby and Blake while Yang was forced to sit and watch. Instead, Weiss got rid of the teacher, and Yang handled the...more forceful persuasion.

Wait. Had they actually just worked together on something? And it turned out perfectly? Better than perfect - Cardin ran off with his tail between his legs, and Professor Goodwitch was none-the-wiser?

Huh...Yang wouldn't have thought Cardin would be the one to bring out their similarities. But apparently, they both had people they would break the rules for - they just had a different way of going about it. And their varying methods actually meshed together pretty dang well.

Maybe the two of them would be great teammates, after all.


	6. Feat of Strength - BY

**Happy 4th of July, to those celebrating it!**

 **Pairing: Bumblebee  
Summary: Blake can't leave Yang alone for three minutes without something happening.**

* * *

"What time is it?" Without waiting for a response, Blake looked at the clock on her scroll and sighed. "l should go now…"

"Sure I can't come with you?" Yang offered, sensing Blake's unwillingness to leave. "I'll be the hot human to your feisty Faunus?"

When Blake relaxed into a smile, Yang labeled the comment a success. _Anything_ was a success if it made Blake happy, even if it was only for a few seconds. That's why Yang spent most of her day doing and saying stupid things - to make Blake happy.

"I'm sure they'd love that," Blake replied, shaking her head at the idea. "But it shouldn't take long. I'll meet you here in an hour?"

"Sure, no problem!" Even though Yang hated letting go of Blake's hand, she didn't mind the temporary time apart. Blake had an important meeting...thing...that her dad was dragging her too. Something about being introduced to...some important leader guy…

It was really hard for Yang to listen when her heart pounded with fear - which was what it did every second Blake's dad was around. The end result? She had no idea what Blake was being dragged off to see, do, or hear.

"I'll hang around here," Yang added, waving a hand towards the spectacular park they'd spent the last hour walking through. "You know, talk to the locals - get a feel for things."

Whatever reticence Blake felt seemed to ease, and she put on one of those smiles Yang loved to see.

"Ok..." Blake finally agreed, giving Yang one last heart-melting smile. "Stay out of trouble."

Yang laughed at the words of wisdom.

"Me? What kind of trouble could I possibly get into?" When Blake raised a brow, Yang waved her hands. "Alright, alright. I could get in a lot of trouble, but I'll be on my best behavior!"

Satisfied with the response, Blake leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Yang's lips.

"Thank you," Blake whispered, knowing full well what she was doing to Yang's heart from their proximity. But she pulled back and walked away - throwing one last glance over her shoulder before crossing the street and heading into the building across from the park.

A sigh of longing slipped past Yang's lips, and it was several minutes before she realized she was grinning like an idiot. Not that it was a _bad_ thing to grin like an idiot - she did it all the time when Blake was involved. Shaking her head, Yang decided to kill time by walking further into the park to explore the areas they hadn't seen yet.

So far, she _loved_ the parks in Menagerie. They weren't your typical parks with flat paths, trees, and open spaces. They were more like...wildlife adventure parks - complete with the most intense jungle gyms she'd ever seen.

It was a workout, that was for sure. Different areas had different themes - some filled with boulders to climb, some filled with knee-high grass that looked like a pasture, and some thickly-wooded areas with trees that were _way_ too tall.

And there were Faunus _everywhere_ \- climbing the trees, scaling the boulders, or using the sandy paths. Everyone was having a good time, which meant the vibe was really good. It was good in Menagerie, in general.

If Blake decided this was where she wanted to live, Yang wouldn't have an issue with that. Not that she assumed that Blake wanted her to stick around or anything! But...things were really good between them. Maybe it was presumptuous to think that far into the future, but she couldn't help it. She saw Blake in her future. And she couldn't see Blake without seeing, you know, a place to live.

Whistling several different tunes to herself (an entire AchieveMen album, actually), Yang spent a fair amount of time just walking, thinking, and people watching. She reached the far end of the park before making her way slowly back the way she'd come, but when she neared the starting point, she noticed something...interesting.

Basically _everything_ in Menagerie was interesting, but this was _even more_ interesting. Of course she had to check it out, so her feet led her off the rocky path and towards a group of Faunus standing near the side of a _giant_ boulder.

The boulder itself was enough to warrant inspection - it was _really_ big. But it was the Faunus who stole the show. It looked like they were holding some type of competition to climb one side of the rock. It was quite the event, too! Off to one side, spectators cheered and groaned while competitors tried to climb with their bare hands. Some made good progress; others failed spectacularly.

For every Faunus attempting the climb, there was an official watching. At least, she guessed they were officials from their big yellow hats, clipboards, and stopwatches.

Sooo...she had a few minutes to spare...and she liked competitions, _especially_ ones that dealt with strength. Walking over to the event, she joined the crowd of spectators and caught the attention of a zebra Faunus wearing one of the big yellow hats.

"Excuse me," she asked, throwing on a polite smile when he turned her way. "What's going on?"

"It's a feat of strength!" he explained with a toothy grin. "These young men are proving their capability in front of their loved ones. If they succeed, they receive a reward beyond their wildest dreams!"

Feat of strength? A reward beyond her wildest dreams?

"Uh, can I try?" When Yang pointed towards the boulder - which was more like a sheer rock wall from this close - the man looked at her in surprise.

"Do you have a partner?"

"Oh, uh, yeah I do." Glancing over her shoulder towards the building Blake was currently sitting in, Yang turned back with a smile. "She'll be here soon. Do I have to wait for her?"

"Technically not," the man replied, his lips pursed in thought. "If you're ok with her not being here, then you're free to try! We just need your information first."

With a smile, he handed her a clipboard with a single form on it - a basic contest entry deal. Her name, her partner's name, race, age, gender, and then sign the bottom.

Thankfully, they were letting her participate without a partner physically present! Although she _did_ want to prove her strength to Blake...but they'd probably let her do it again when Blake got here. That made this a practice run.

"Here you go!" she said, signing the bottom of the page and handing it back to the man. After taking a few seconds to make sure everything was filled out, he waved her towards the boulder.

"Then may your endeavor begin!" he said, picking a spot with no current contestants and fondly patting the rock beside him. "You have ten seconds to reach the top once you touch the rock."

Yang giggled at the rhyme, but her residing official was all-business now that his stopwatch was in his hand.

Hearing a loud round of cheers, she looked up and saw a bear Faunus raising both arms in triumph from atop the boulder before hurrying down and rushing over to give his sweetheart a big kiss.

"Awww so cute!" Smiling at the affection, Yang turned back to the boulder and swung her arms back and forth in preparation.

Ten seconds, massive rock wall, basically zero handholds to be found. This was _awesome_. Menagerie was the best.

"There's no other rules, right?" she asked. "I just need to get to the top in ten seconds?"

"That's correct. How you get there is your journey, and your journey alone."

Yang wanted to tell him that he sounded like a weird inspirational poster, but decided against possibly insulting him. Instead, she looked up at her destination.

The biggest issue was that the rock had very few grooves to use as handholds. But...that wasn't an issue for her. She'd just make her own handholds.

Jumping as high as she could, she used her left hand and punched a hole into the side of the rock. Latching on, she quickly put her right hand in the newly-created handhold and strained her muscles to launch her even further off the ground - again using her left hand to latch onto the smooth rock.

From the ground, the rock looked super tall. In actuality, it took only four massive bursts of strength to make it to the top.

Hearing cheers, she raised her arms above her head in success and laughed. That was only like five seconds of exertion, but it was a lot of fun! She could probably make it in only three lunges, but she'd played it safe so she didn't embarrass herself in front of strangers. Next time though!

Spotting Blake just about the enter the park, Yang jumped down from the boulder and landed in a crouch that cushioned her fall. Her favorite zebra official was the first one to congratulate her.

"Well done!" he said, giving her hand a hearty shake. "I'm sure your partner will be very pleased with that display of strength!"

"She tends to be." Grinning, Yang caught Blake's eye and waved her over before turning back to the man. "So...about that prize?"

"Right, of course. Is your partner here yet?"

"She's right over there." When Yang pointed over the man's shoulder, he spun around to look at Blake.

"Wonderful! I'll be right back."

The man hurried away, and Yang grinned as Blake walked over to her. Did she say walked over? More like sprinted over to her.

"Yang, what are you doing?"

"Just did a feat of strength!" Yang replied, flexing her arms. "Climbed up that boulder in like five seconds, now I get a prize! I hope it's a vacation or something."

Normally, Blake laughed at Yang's jokes, but she didn't laugh this time. Instead, her eyes swept around the boulder-climbing competition before landing back on Yang.

"Please tell me you didn't sign up."

"Uh..." Yang wasn't sure why Blake looked concerned, but her excitement was quickly depleting. "I mean...I kinda had to? They wouldn't let me try otherwise…"

"Who did you put as your partner?" Blake asked, sounding far too worried about what that obvious answer might be.

"You! Of course." Laughing at Blake's concern, Yang shook her head. "Who else would I put down?"

Stunned by the response, Blake's mouth fell open - but the zebra Faunus returned before she could say anything.

"Congratulations, you two!" he said, shaking Blake's hand before pressing the clipboard into her hands. "l just need your signature to finalize the certificate."

"Oh, awesome!" Yang grinned while Blake read the form. "Like a gift certificate? Where to?"

It seemed like a simple question, but the man looked at Yang in confusion. Meanwhile, Blake bit her lip, then signed the form and pressed it back into his hands.

"Excuse us," she said, pushing Yang away from the crowd of people.

"Wait - where are we going?" Yang asked, stumbling to the side until she got her legs straightened out and followed Blake a short distance away. "We need to get our gift certificate!"

Shaking her head, Blake gave Yang a serious look.

"Yang, this is a marriage ceremony."

"Uh, what?"

She heard Blake wrong, because there's _no way_ she said -

"A marriage ceremony."

Ok, so that's what Blake said, but _clearly_ she was just pulling a prank. So Yang laughed.

"Good one, Blake," she said, still chuckling. "Why would climbing a boulder be involved in getting married?"

"It's to prove the strength of your love," Blake answered, her face serious enough that Yang began to doubt that it was a joke.

"Wait, are you serious?"

" _Yes_. There's a group of Faunus that subscribe to...unconventional marriage practices. But they're still legal marriages. You signed a consent to marriage - then you completed the marriage task."

It sounded like Blake knew what she was talking about. _Of course_ she knew what she was talking about. She knew much more about Faunus than Yang did. Which meant…

"Holy...crap," Yang said, her eyes widening while she started to panic. "Well can't we like...undo it or something?"

"You can, but I don't think you want to do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's painful and permanently scarring."

Yang cringed at the response.

"Why wouldn't they put that warning in big, bold letters then?" she whined, throwing her arms in the air. "'FYI - this is a marriage, and totally undoable!'"

"Excuse me -"

Turning to the side, Yang found her friendly zebra official from earlier - who was still friendly but a little less forthcoming that she would've hoped.

"I have your marriage certificate here," he said, extending the piece of paper to them. When Yang numbly accepted it, he gave them both a big smile. "Congratulations to both of you!"

With that, he hurried back to the competition - which was apparently less of a competition and more of a life-altering event.

"Now he uses the word…" Yang grumbled before looking down at the piece of paper in her hand and thinking about something rather important. "Oh god...your dad's gonna kill me."

Thinking about that statement for a _little_ too long, Blake's eyes glinted in humor.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Blake replied with a sly smile to go along with those eyes.

"l like that idea," Yang quickly said, nodding vigorously. "Because what he _does_ know _will_ hurt me."

"Guess it's our secret then."

Breathing a _small_ sigh of relief, Yang thought that was one less problem to worry about. But the biggest one was...standing right in front of her.

"How are you so cool about this?" Yang asked. "I mean, I know you're always super cool about everything - but you're not flipping out _at all_. We just got freaking married!"

When Yang waved the certificate in the air, Blake's eyes flicked to it before catching Yang's gaze once more.

"Does it really change anything?"

Yang's heart swelled with love from the simple question and the open affection in Blake's eyes.

"No," she answered with a smile, knowing that the answer was true. Married or not, this didn't change how she felt about Blake. In fact, Blake's response to the situation kind of made Yang love her even more…

Looking at the piece of paper in her hands, Yang smiled - until her eyes caught on something important.

"Wait. This says the marriage isn't valid until both parties sign." Holding up the page, Yang pointed to the last sentence. "Did you see this? If you hadn't signed, it wouldn't be valid!"

Looking at the certificate, Blake narrowed her eyes in thought before turning away.

"Must've missed that," she said, smiling as she offered her hand to Yang. "Want to go celebrate?"

When Blake gave her one of _those_ looks, Yang's heart beat faster.

"l hope you're thinking what I think you're thinking," she said, taking Blake's hand as they left the park together.

"I'm thinking...what do most newlyweds do on their wedding night?"

Stopping in her tracks, Yang pulled Blake back to her and quickly scooped her feet out from under her. Laughing in surprise, Blake still allowed Yang to hold her bridal style - those amber eyes looking up at her in amusement.

"Pretty sure this is one of the things," Yang said, before leaning down to place a kiss on Blake's lips. Pulling away, Yang smiled while Blake pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And that's another," Blake whispered.

"Now about that last part…" Without setting Blake down, Yang set off at a quick trot for the hotel they'd been staying at ever since arriving in Menagerie.

"Yang, it's like ten blocks from here -"

"And I just completed a feat of strength for you!" Yang replied, hugging Blake closer while jogging across the street. "Pretty sure I can handle one more!"

When Blake laughed, Yang smiled. Maybe she'd just done something stupid, but Blake was happy - so it was a success.


	7. Boo - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee  
** **Summary:** **Half of team RWBY walks past a haunted house. The other half walks inside.**

* * *

"Come on, you know you want to!"

"l really don't."

"Noooo Yang! It looks scary!"

When Yang laughed at the responses, Blake smiled and shook her head.

For the past half hour, she'd listened to Yang goading Weiss and Ruby - trying to get them into the haunted house up the hill. So far, the two hadn't fallen for the near-constant teases. If anything, they dug their heels in further.

"It doesn't look _that_ scary." Shaking her head, Yang turned to Blake with a grin. "Right, Blake?"

As usual, Blake was dragged into the conversation on Yang's behalf. Apparently, being Yang Xiao Long's partner wasn't limited to fighting Grimm - it also included finishing homework assignments, pulling practical jokes, teasing their teammates, and anything else she needed help with at that particular moment.

Not that Blake minded. If anything, the constant requests for her attention and assistance made her feel...included.

It was a nice feeling.

"I've seen scarier," she replied with a shrug and smile that grew when Yang beamed.

"See? Blake's not scared. Why're you two such chickens?"

"We're _not_ chickens."

Upon hearing the snappy retort, Blake rolled her eyes. After much effort, Yang finally needled her way through Weiss' poise and got her to engage.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you prove it then? By going into the haunted house!"

With a great deal of flair, Yang pointed towards the entrance of the dark, thematically-decorated house. As they watched, a steady line of park visitors filed up the porch steps and through the front doors, while others left through a side door after completing their 'haunted experience.'

As far as haunted houses went, it was decently decorated. The screams coming from inside were a good sign, too. Overall, Blake would assume it was average, at best. But in an amusement park filled with guests of all ages, it couldn't be _too_ scary.

"Ruby doesn't want to go," Weiss huffed, holding her partner's hand to prevent them from moving closer.

"I-I mean...I would, but...I'm kind of hungry, aren't you?"

Yang laughed at the obvious excuse, shaking her head while leading them past the building.

"You guys are such babies!" she said as they went. "I bet it's not even that scary, but whatever you say..."

As soon as Yang made the comment, Blake stopped walking. Her halt was so abrupt that her teammates kept walking for several seconds before noticing her absence and turning around.

"I'll go."

Yang's eyes briefly widened at the agreement, but then she smiled again.

"See guys? Blake's not scared of some fake haunted house!"

Even though the compliment meant little in terms of their regular lives, Blake happily accepted it. No matter how small it may be, she loved when Yang thought highly of her in any way.

"You'll go with me?" Blake asked, smiling as she gestured towards the haunted house. "Ruby and Weiss can get food while we walk through."

Ruby and Weiss immediately nodded at the suggestion - it was Yang who waved away the offer.

"Nah...we don't have to do that. What happens when the two kids get lost? We'll never be able to find them."

"We aren't children," Weiss replied with a scowl. "And we have our scrolls."

"Yeah!" Ruby added with several quick nods. "Message us when you're done, and we'll meet you back here!"

For a split second, it looked like Yang wanted to argue. Instead, she shrugged and found another charming smile. "Alright then. We'll see you guys in a bit!"

While Ruby and Weiss walked away - both pleased with the situation - Blake smiled at Yang and walked back towards the entrance of the haunted house.

"Have you been through one of these before?" she asked, noticing the way Yang's eyes scanned each and every person emerging from the exit.

"Uh, a long time ago, yeah."

Under ordinary circumstances, a lively story or several jokes would accompany the response. Today, however, Yang fell silent as the eerie music and terrified screams grew louder. A few steps further - within feet of reaching the front porch - she abruptly stopped.

"You know, you really don't have to do this," she said, giving Blake a kind, reassuring smile. "I already know you're tough as nails, so you don't have to prove anything to me! We can just hang out here and tell Ruby and Weiss how scary it was later. I don't want you to _actually_ be scared or anything..."

The proposal was exactly what Blake expected, and she smiled upon proving her intuition right.

Over the course of their time together, she and Yang had grown quite close. So close, in fact, that Blake liked to believe she knew Yang just as well as Ruby did, if not better. Ruby knew Yang's past - and the two had an uncanny ability to finish each other's jokes - but she always fell for Yang's fake charm and boasting. Blake, however, saw through Yang's bravado.

What started as a sneaky suspicion was now undeniable fact - while Yang mercilessly teased Weiss and Ruby about the haunted house, she'd had no intention of going in it herself.

"I'd actually like to go," Blake answered, testing the limits of what Yang would do for her. Her heart immediately soared when Yang let out a soft sigh - a reluctant agreement she would give no one else.

"If you want to go, then of course we'll go."

Smiling, Blake turned and led them up the creaking porch steps, with Yang's feet dragging the entire way. Passing through the open doorway, they entered a dimly-lit entryway covered in an assortment of fake cobwebs, fake blood, fake spiders, and a few fake rats.

"Creepy," Blake said, chuckling at the atmosphere.

"Yeah…"

"Are you ok?" she finally asked, pulling Yang off to the side and allowing several people to pass them.

A black curtain separated them from the interior of the home, and it was through this curtain that everyone passed before the 'experience' began. It was also where Yang's eyes were fixed as if an Ursa would burst through at any second.

"What? Of course!" As soon as Yang threw on a confident smile, Blake raised a brow in disbelief. Reading the expression, Yang sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Ok, I just...get a little spooked in these places," she finally admitted, meeting Blake's eyes with a sincere lilac gaze of her own. "It's...kind of embarrassing."

Yang's expression was so downtrodden that Blake immediately felt guilty for dragging the girl this far.

"We don't have to go -"

"No, we can! I mean, you want to go - and I want you to get what you want."

When Yang smiled, Blake felt her heart give a powerful thump in her chest.

She didn't know what she'd done to deserve someone like Yang in her life, but she was eternally grateful. Yang would do anything for her, no matter what was called for. The situation could be uncomfortable, difficult, or scary, and she would charge forward - all for Blake.

But one of the most wonderful things about being partners with someone like Yang Xiao Long was that...the feeling was mutual. As much as Yang gave, Blake wanted to give in return.

"I think it will be fun," she replied, extending one hand to Yang as an idea formed in her mind.

"I don't know if I'd say _fun…_ " Yang muttered, accepting Blake's hand regardless. "But we should survive…"

Chuckling at the melodrama, Blake led them towards the entrance and paused just outside the black curtain separating them from whatever unspeakable horrors lay within.

"We'll definitely survive, but are you sure you want to do this?"

As willing as Blake was to help Yang through this, she didn't want to force her partner into anything. When a scream tore through the air and Yang cringed, Blake thought they were leaving immediately. Instead, Yang nodded.

"Promise you won't tell Ruby or Weiss if I scream?" she asked, giving Blake a pleading look.

"Of course I won't."

Looking at the curtain, Yang took a deep breath and nodded again.

"Ok, let's do it. I just need to...not punch anyone…"

"Then you can't let go of my hand - not unless I say you can. Got it?" Blake asked, smiling when Yang nodded. "Good. You can't punch anyone if you're holding my hand."

"I can't punch anyone _alone_ if I'm holding your hand," Yang corrected, the joke making Blake laugh as she pulled back the curtain and tugged Yang into the dark hallway beyond.

The music was even louder here, as it attempted to mask the sounds of employees getting into place for their next big scare. The lights flickered on and off in a random pattern, playing tricks on the imagination as shapes moved and disappeared without a trace.

"Oh grimm…" Yang mumbled under her breath as they took several small steps forward. A skeleton sitting in the chair on their left started shaking as soon as they passed by - the abrupt noise and motion making Yang jump into Blake's side and tug at her hand.

"No punching," Blake whispered, smiling when Yang looked at her with wide eyes.

"How are you so cool with this?"

Pressing a finger to her lips, Blake tilted her head forward and led them further down the hall. If Yang wasn't on such high alert at the moment, she'd realize that Blake heard where all the scary 'events' were occuring. She knew what to expect and where to expect it. Plus, the lights were flickering, but she could still see pretty well in the darkness.

Making it past the loud cackle of a fake witch, they approached a corner up ahead. Yang squeezed Blake's hand tighter as they neared it, with good reason. Just around the bend, Blake heard someone with heavy shoes shuffling in wait. A loud, thumping sound caught her attention as they crept closer, and it took several seconds for her to realize it was Yang's heartbeat - growing louder as she anticipated the scare to come.

Yang was scared, and that was just about the most adorable thing Blake had ever witnessed. Yang Xiao Long - the girl who'd punched an Ursa in the face just the other day - was scared of some amusement park employee dressed up as a serial killer.

Not for long, if her partner had anything to say about it.

Pulling Yang closer, Blake leaned over and whispered "Watch this," right before they stepped around the corner - triggering the scary event.

A man in a ski mask revved his chainless chainsaw - raising it in the air and lunging towards them as the loud sound filled the hall. Feeling Yang's arm flinch in response, Blake dragged the girl a step away from danger before summoning two clones that tapped the man's shoulders from behind.

Instantly confused, he lowered the chainsaw and spun towards the unexpected presence. As soon as he did so, Blake dropped Yang's hand and slipped behind him. Two more clones flashed across the hall - serving as distraction while she leaned forward and whispered "Boo" in his ear.

"Ahh!" he screamed, whirling around as Blake smoothly returned to Yang's side - reaching down to hold Yang's hand as if she'd never moved at all. While he looked at her with wide eyes, she maintained a passive expression. That is, until she heard laughter.

Turning to the side, she smiled when she found Yang doubling over in laughter.

"Got s-spooked - huh?" Yang got out before dissolving into more giggles.

"Must've been a ghost," Blake added, feeling her smile grow when Yang laughed even harder.

Miffed but unsure about what just happened, the man gave Blake another long look before standing to the side of the hall and motioning for them to move along. Hurrying past, they only slowed their pace when he disappeared into the alcove behind them, waiting for his next 'victims' to arrive.

"Ok," Yang whispered as they trekked further into the house. "That was _awesome_. He _totally_ wasn't expecting anything behind him."

When a fake zombie rattled a cage to their right and Yang hardly blinked, Blake squeezed Yang's hand.

"Feeling better now?" she asked, watching the sparkle return to Yang's eyes.

"Hell yeah! Let's flip the tables on these suckers!"

Laughing at the typical Yang response, Blake led them towards their next 'event' - which sounded like a fake banshee screaming at the other end of the hall. If she played the moment right, she should be able to prompt a real scream instead…


	8. Let's Make a Match

**Pairing: subtle Bumblebee/White Rose, mostly Freezerbros friendship  
** **Summary: Practicing important conversations out loud _seems_ like a good idea, but...maybe it isn't.**

* * *

The dorm room wasn't big enough for pacing, but Weiss made due with what she had. Five strides one direction, turn on her heel, five strides the other direction. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

It felt like she was _always_ pacing these days, but she had good reasons. There was a lot on her mind and, most importantly, she didn't know what to do about what she had on her mind. Hopefully, that would change soon - if she could ever figure out what she wanted to say.

"Ruby," she said aloud in the empty room, raising her hands and turning on her heel once again. "I don't know how to tell you this...I've _tried_ to tell you so many times, but…"

Pausing in the midst of the room, she faced Ruby's bed and sighed. Why was this so difficult to say? Why couldn't it be simple - like answering a question in class? She had no issue raising her hand when she knew the answer, and she knew the answer here too.

Taking a deep breath, she summoned her courage and spoke clearly - because if she couldn't say it now, she'd never be able to say it in person.

"I _like_ you," she said, feeling a shiver go down her spine when she heard the words out loud. " _Like_ you, like you. And I was wondering...will you go on a date with me?"

Would that work? No, the blunt honesty might freak Ruby out. Maybe she should try a less direct approach...

"Uh...what?"

Eyes widening in horror, Weiss spun around and found Yang standing just inside the door - one hand still on the door knob while she stared at Weiss in shock.

"O-oh, hey Yang," Weiss said, moving to the side of the room while her mind spun with plausible explanations.

"Hey Weiss..." Yang replied, hesitantly stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "Uh, just curious...but did you just ask me out?"

"What? No!"

"Ok, because it kinda sounded like..."

"No," Weiss said, shaking her head for emphasis. "No, no, no. I wasn't speaking to you at all. I was just - trying out the words."

"Oh thank grimm." Sighing in relief, Yang shook her head before abruptly pausing. "Wait - trying out the words? You mean you're practicing. What are you practicing for?"

Before Weiss had a chance to respond, Yang's eyes widened in realization.

"Holy crap! You like someone!"

Alarm bells ringing, Weiss scoffed and tried to turn away - but Yang caught her elbow to keep her from walking away from the conversation.

"You totally do! And you want to ask them out, so you're practicing what to say!" Yang's grin widened as she gently shook Weiss by the shoulders. "That's so freaking cute!"

Brushing off Yang's hands, Weiss stepped away and tried to cool her warming cheeks.

"That's not at all what's going on."

"Oh don't lie to me, Weiss - you like someone. There's _no_ other explanation."

While Yang smiled at her, Weiss tried to come up with an explanation - _anything_ that would explain what she'd said and why she said , it appeared Yang was correct - there were none. At least, none that made sense.

Fortunately (if there was a 'fortunate' aspect of this situation), Weiss didn't have to reply because Yang already knew the right answer.

"Who is it?" Yang asked, her eyes sparkling in anticipation. "You have to tell me who it is! And please say it's not me, because I really don't want to turn you down."

"What? No! Of course it's not you!" Weiss shook her head at the idea. "But you'd turn me down?" she asked, curious as to why Yang added the last piece of that sentence.

"Uh, yeah." Reaching out and patting Weiss on the shoulder, Yang gave her a patronizing smile. "No offense, Weiss - I love you like a sister, but...that's it."

Shrugging off Yang's hand, Weiss narrowed her eyes and tried to figure out what was off in that statement. Under ordinary circumstances, it seemed like Yang would tease her about this. Instead, she was _certain_ about _not_ liking Weiss…

"You like someone too."

When Yang's smile dropped a fraction of an inch, Weiss knew she was right.

"Uh, what?" Yang fudged, shuffling her feet and running a hand through her hair. "No, I just...don't like you - like that."

Yang was a horrible liar - almost as bad as Ruby.

"Yang…"

"Alright!" Yang said, caving as soon as she knew she was found out. "So I like someone - but you do too!"

Shaking her head, Weiss started to say 'no,' but instead just stared - both of them looking at each other while the information sunk in.

"Who is it?" Weiss asked, immensely curious as to who'd caught Yang's eye. The girl was something of a flirt, so anyone in the school could be a realistic option.

"l don't wanna say..." Yang replied, suddenly bashful at the entire conversation - which only made Weiss _more_ curious.

Thankfully, she had a bargaining chip, and she'd already planned on asking for permission. No way was she bold enough to ask Ruby out without obtaining her _highly-protective_ sister's permission beforehand. So this actually worked out, in a way. Now she could ask for permission, and also learn who Yang liked.

"If you tell me, I'll tell you."

"So you _do_ like someone," Yang said, coming back to life at the remark. Weiss gave her a look, and Yang waved a hand. "Alright, alright, guess that was kinda obvious, but you just admitted it out loud!"

"Well, _technically_ -"

"Ok nope, not doing that." Chuckling, Yang shook her head and waved a hand so that Weiss stopped her argument. "Wait." Suddenly freezing, Yang gave Weiss a concerned look. "What if...what if we like the same person?"

To Yang, this seemed like a legitimate worry, but Weiss recoiled from the idea.

"No way," she said, shaking her head. "That's not possible."

"But it _could_ be!"

"Nope," Weiss replied just as emphatically. "There's _no way_ that would happen."

"You don't know that!" Yang complained. "We hang out with the same people - we could easily like the same person!"

Wrinkling her nose, Weiss shook her head one more time. "No. Believe me, Yang. You don't like this person. At least, not like that. You like them, but _not_ like that.

Yang looked unconvinced, but Weiss was positive she was right. Yang loved Ruby - as a sister. Because they were _literally_ sisters.

Now that Weiss thought about it...it was fortunate she'd fallen for the only person in the school that Yang wouldn't hit on.

"l have an idea," Weiss said when a thought occurred to her. "We'll tell each other who we like -" Yang scoffed at the notion, but Weiss continued anyway. "And then we can help each other ask those people out."

The offer struck a chord, and Yang suddenly looked very interested.

"Ok, I'll tell you first," she said. Seeing right through the response, Weiss rolled her eyes.

"So that if it's the same person, you have dibs?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief when Yang nodded.

"Can't fight the power of dibs, Weiss," Yang replied before taking a deep breath and looking more unsure of herself. "Ok, but it's...it's…" Shuffling her feet and clearing her throat several times, she finally pressed forward.

"It's Blake."

As soon as Weiss heard the name, she laughed.

Because _of course_ it was Blake. How had she not seen it before? The two of them spent all their time together, and Yang _loved_ anything partner-related, even if it was something like studying. Blake was also the only one Yang _didn't_ verbosely flirt with - because Blake was the one Yang actually wanted to be with.

But...Blake was Blake.

"Of course you chose the most difficult girl in the school," Weiss replied while Yang sighed - this time with longing.

"What can I say? I like a challenge." Turning to the side, Yang looked almost at a loss for words - for the first time in her life. "She's just so smart and kind and fun to be around..."

"I'll help you," Weiss immediately said, considering it an honor to help push the two together. "And that's not at all who I like. I mean, we're friends, but that's it."

"Thanks, Weiss." For a second, Yang smiled in gratitude before regaining her signature grin. Straightening her posture, she crossed her arms and nodded. "Alright - lay it on me."

As soon as it was Weiss' turn to speak, she understood how nervous Yang had been moments earlier. Thus far, she'd done an excellent job of keeping these feelings hidden from view. But the instant she put the name out into the world, there was no going back.

Maybe this was the push she needed. If Yang knew, then Weiss couldn't delay forever. Plus, Yang just agreed to help, and Weiss could use all the help she could get.

"Ok," she began, folding her hands together and then immediately unfolding them. "Before I tell you, just know that I was going to talk to you before anything happened."

"Ok…"

Sensing Yang's confusion, Weiss took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge - because she knew that this was what she wanted. And that meant she was willing to admit these emotions to Yang - risking a lifetime of teasing in the process. As crazy as it sounded, this person was _worth_ a lifetime of teasing and then some.

"It's...it's Ruby."

For several long seconds, Yang just stared. And then, just like Weiss, she laughed.

"You're kidding, right? That's a joke?"

The questions filled Weiss with uncertainty and concern. She'd hoped Yang would be fine with the situation. It might be weird at first, but surely Yang knew that Weiss would do everything in her power to make Ruby happy. Was that not good enough?

"I'm serious," Weiss replied, watching the grin slowly fall from Yang's face as realization set in. "l like Ruby - a lot. And I really want to ask her out."

In the silence that followed, Weiss prepared herself - for yelling, shouting, or anything. For a long time, Yang struggled to find words to say - opening and closing her mouth several times.

And then Yang started laughing again - this time even happier than before as she rushed forward and scooped Weiss into a bear hug.

"That's so awesome!" Yang said, giving Weiss a few good shakes before setting her down. "I've been _waiting_ to meet the sucker Ruby would drive crazy - it's even _better_ that it's going to be you!"

Immensely relieved, Weiss still rolled her eyes.

"You're ok with it?" she asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, Weiss, of course! You're really good to her." Pausing for a second, Yang broke into more giggles. "Good luck though - romance is probably the _last_ thing Ruby thinks about on a daily basis."

Knowing the comment was correct, Weiss sighed out loud. Ruby focused on school, friends, and training - forming a romantic relationship probably hadn't even occurred to her yet.

"Well," Weiss said, feeling a pleased smile grow. "You said you'd help me, so..."

"You want me to help you get my little sister?" Yang asked, her expression incredulous enough to make Weiss pause.

"Yes? Then I'll help you win over Blake."

"Deal!" Reaching out, Yang shook Weiss' hand and grinned. "We'll see who the better matchmaker is. I'll have Ruby wrapped around your finger in no time!" Hesitating for a second, Yang's grin turned into a smirk. "Well, I guess _you're_ the one wrapped around her finger..."

"Shut it," Weiss replied, shoving Yang away from her.

While Yang laughed, Weiss shook her head and glanced towards the door when it opened again.

"We'll try that next time!" Ruby said as she and Blake walked into the room together, dropping their bags on the ground before separating towards their respective beds.

Catching Weiss' eye, Yang winked and flounced over to Ruby's side - throwing an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Hey Ruby! Have you ever thought about doin' the do?"

"W-what? Yang! What - w-why -?"

While Ruby sputtered, Weiss shook her head and hid her face in her hands.

What had she just gotten herself into?


	9. Happy Not-Birthday

**Pairing: Bumblebee  
** **Summary: Blake plans a birthday surprise for Yang**

* * *

Humming a tune to herself (the newest AchieveMen single), Yang jogged up the front steps, unlocked the front door, and let herself into the front entryway.

"Hey Blake!" she called out, hanging her bag on a hook by the door and kicking off her shoes. Pushing them towards the clutter of shoes already on the ground, she glanced towards the staircase when she didn't hear a response.

"Blake?" she called out again. "I'm home."

Still nothing but silence, which was weird...because she knew Blake was already home. Her bag was by the door, her shoes underneath, and she'd just texted asking when Yang would be home.

Heading towards the staircase to check upstairs, Yang froze when she felt it.

What was 'it' exactly? 'It' was hard to describe. Some days, she described it as a disturbance in the air - one of those feelings that raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Other days, she'd swear it as a weird type of intuition. But most of the time, she called it just plain scary.

Whatever it was, she felt it right before something lowered in front of her eyes - cutting off her vision and plunging her into darkness. Instinctively, she jerked an elbow back at the presence behind her as her heart started pumping with adrenaline.

"Woah there," came a calm voice as her elbow connected with nothing but air. "Easy, tiger."

The sound of Blake's voice instantly put her at ease, allowing her to relax and drop the 'fight' reflex that ran so strongly through her.

"One of these days I might accidentally get you," she replied, turning towards where Blake had spoken from, only for the strip of fabric to remain in front of her eyes.

"Right…" Blake answered, her disbelieving smirk practically visible in her tone. "I _really_ don't see that happening."

"You never know!" Trying to turn around again, Yang was disappointed when the blindfold stayed over her eyes. "I'm pretty fast."

"That's like a koala telling a cheetah it's fast."

"Are you the koala here?" Yang joked, grinning when she heard Blake laugh from behind her.

"If you'll let me hang onto you, I will be."

"Hmm…" Drawing out the word, Yang tried to use the element of surprise and spun around faster this time. Of course, she then sighed when Blake somehow managed to keep the blindfold in place.

"Ok, what's up with the blindfold?" she finally asked. "Is this payback for accidentally embarrassing you in front of JNPR?"

"Not quite," Blake replied, softly chuckling when Yang spun around again, to no avail.

"You have to admit it was kinda funny though," she said, imagining Blake's expression. "You were bragging about having such good balance then wham! I knocked you right over."

"Yes, it was...very funny…"

Sensing the dryness in Blake's tone, Yang twirled again and finally gave up, raising her hand then dropping it to her side in defeat.

"Ok, what gives? I just want to see my beautiful girlfriend."

"You'll see me soon enough, but first…"

Feeling the strip of cloth fasten behind her head, Yang hadn't even _thought_ to remove it when she felt soft lips on her own - Blake kissing her out of the blue. No longer caring whether or not she could see, Yang immediately responded by leaning in to kiss Blake deeply - because she didn't need to see in order to do that. Breathing in the smell of Blake's body wash - a nice, flowery lavender - Yang clutched at Blake's sides, pulling the girl close.

It was one of those kisses that went from zero to a hundred in less than a second. It was one of those kisses that made her realize how absolutely and unconditionally she loved the girl in front of her. It didn't matter if she couldn't see Blake right now. Ultimately, she didn't care what Blake looked like - she cared about that feeling bubbling up inside her the longer their lips clashed together. Love, longing, desire, adoration, admiration - all those feelings and more burst forth the longer the kiss progressed.

Yang was fully prepared to profess a _lot_ of love right there in the entryway, but Blake suddenly broke away, resting one hand on Yang's collar to keep her from following. Confused at the sudden loss of intimacy, she cleared her throat and struggled to find words while her mind was hung up on the kisses instead.

It was common knowledge that Blake scrambled her mind, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about, right? Especially not when Blake had just awakened a very big and very ferocious desire within her.

"U-uh...wh-what?" she stammered, clearing her throat again and shaking her head in an attempt to clear her mind. "Uh, what was that for?"

As fingers wove through her hair, Yang _so_ wanted to see Blake's eyes at the moment - that smart, sexy amber that looked right through her. Instead, she would have to be satisfied with feeling Blake's hand slide behind her neck and pull them closer together.

"Happy birthday," Blake whispered in response, pressing another sultry kiss to Yang's lips while her confusion soared through the roof.

"Uh…" she said, accepting another kiss in the darkness. "But...it's not my birthday?"

"Are you sure about that?"

Five minutes ago, she'd been pretty sure it wasn't her birthday. But with Blake pressed against her, kissing her...she wasn't so sure. Maybe it was her birthday. Or maybe she didn't care if it _wasn't_ her birthday.

"I mean…" she got out before getting lost in another kiss, taking a step back as Blake pressed forward. "Sure - yeah, it can be my birthday."

Hearing a delighted laugh, Yang grinned. No matter what it was, she loved making Blake laugh. If that meant she had to change her birthday, then so be it. It was just one day a year, anyway. No big deal!

"Glad you agree," Blake replied, running her hands up Yang's shirt and disappearing when Yang tried to grab her and pull her back for a kiss. When Yang let out a disgruntled sound, Blake laughed from somewhere off to the left.

"I have a surprise for you," Blake added, amusement evident in her voice.

"I hope it involves the two of us," Yang replied, turning towards Blake and stepping forward.

"Oh it does."

Hearing Blake in the opposite direction, Yang turned again and moved that way instead.

"I think you'll enjoy it _immensely_."

Growing impatient with her lack of vision, Yang reached up to remove the blindfold - only for a hand to grab hers right before lips kissed her passionately - forcing her to forget her quest once again.

But this time when Blake tried to back away, Yang refused to let go. Instead, she pulled Blake closer, wrapping her arm around Blake's waist while layering one kiss on top of another. Letting out a content sigh, Blake acquiesced - opening her mouth and allowing Yang to deepen the kiss.

Without her vision, Yang focused on so many other sensations - like Blake's tongue clashing with hers, playfully fighting for superiority. Blake's hands slid up her sides before moving across her chest, yanking the zipper down on her jacket before pushing the coat off of her shoulders. She heard it hit the ground, neither of them caring to hang it up at the moment, not when the heat being generated between them grew hotter by the second.

"Mmm - mmmk -"

Blake tried to break away, but Yang followed and pressed another greedy kiss to her girlfriend's lips - a kiss that was willingly accepted before Blake again pulled away. "Mmm - Yang -"

"You said it's my birthday..." Yang murmured, running her hand through Blake's hair while kissing her neck, sucking and lightly biting just how she knew Blake liked.

"Yes -" Blake replied, letting out a small gasp when Yang nipped at her ear. "And I - I have a surprise -"

"Do you…?" Yang whispered into Blake's ear, feeling a shudder of ecstasy travel under her fingertips.

"Yesss...yes." Unexpectedly pulling away, Blake managed to slip out of Yang's grasp and disappeared once more.

"Ugh, again?" she whined, turning around as if she could somehow find Blake.

"I have a surprise for you," Blake repeated, her voice steadier but still breathless. "Can you come with me?"

When Yang raised a brow, Blake grabbed her hand and led her away from the front door.

"Don't answer that. Just...follow me."

"I hope we're continuing that kiss…" Yang muttered while allowing Blake to pull her forward.

"Maybe…"

"In the living room?" she guessed when she felt carpet underneath her feet - her excitement building once again. "I'm totally on board with this."

"Are you?" Blake whispered - her soft breath tickling Yang's ear and sending new tingles of desire down her spine.

"Ohhh yeah. Wherever you want, Blake - you know I'm always willing to...please you." Grinning at the thought, Yang reached out in another futile attempt to find Blake's skin. "Just don't make me wait for it - or do I have to beg again? You want me to beg, don't you?"

Another light laugh, and Yang tried to turn back to Blake. Instead, she felt soft lips touch her ear.

"You don't have to beg," Blake whispered. "But first, your surprise."

"I hope this surprise is you naked, because I can't wait to nail -"

The blindfold suddenly disappeared and Yang blinked in the bright lights.

When her mind processed what was in front of her, she found herself looking at Weiss, Ruby, and the entirety of Team JNPR - all of her closest friends standing underneath a homemade 'Happy Birthday, Yang!' banner with a cake on the table between them.

"Uh...surprise!" Ruby shouted, trying to keep the birthday surprise alive even though her cheeks were ultra-red. Standing by Ruby's side, Weiss shook her head and looked like she wanted to say something else entirely. Fortunately, Weiss was cut off by the much-delayed "Surprise!"s that JNPR managed to get out - each of them with varying degrees of shock or embarrassment on their faces.

"Surprise," Blake whispered, nipping the bottom of Yang's ear before backing away with a triumphant grin. "Who's embarrassed now?"

Turning back to her friends, teammates, and _little sister_ , Yang felt her cheeks grow much warmer.

Ok, so that was pretty damn good. Get her all riled up, then throw a bucket of cold water on her desire. Touché, Belladonna. Touché.

"Joke's on you - I'm totally not embarrassed!" she replied, to which Blake rolled her eyes. Proving her lack of embarrassment (even though she was just a _little_ embarrassed), she smiled at her friends and family. "Ok, peanut gallery. Let's eat cake, but then you need to leave so Blake and I can get down to business - if ya know what I mean."

"We know _exactly_ what you mean," Weiss replied, folding her arms over her chest. "Honestly, I'm surprised the two of you didn't do it in the hall before walking in here."

"Are you upset about that?" Yang retorted, knowing a good tease when she saw one. "Sad you missed out? I don't think Blake's into that, but...you can always ask."

While Yang grinned, Weiss scoffed and turned to Blake.

"I know you have a blindfold, but do you also have earplugs so we can stop listening to her speak?"

"Oh! I do!" Nora exclaimed, digging in her pockets in search of the random items. Chuckling at the response, Yang winked at Weiss.

"Come on, Weiss. I _know_ you and Ruby get super freaky." Watching Weiss' cheeks flush deep red while Ruby's darkened to match, Yang smirked and pointed at Pyrrha and Jaune. "Same with you two."

"W-what? I don't know what you're referring to -"

"Uhh - y-yeah, what she said -"

Laughing at the responses, Yang reached out and pulled Blake closer.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking _all_ of you with me," she said, waving her hand around the room while everyone's cheeks blushed in culpability. "Well, except you, Nora."

"Found 'em!" Nora shouted, holding up a pair of earplugs before sticking them in her ears. "Sorry!" she then yelled, waving in Ren's face. "What did they say!"

When Ren raised a finger to his lips and shushed his partner, Yang laughed and kissed Blake's temple.

"So...was that your way of getting back at me?" she whispered into Blake's ear, noticing the satisfying flush still on Blake's cheeks - the lingering evidence of Blake's very successful attempt to _excite_ her.

"It was my attempt…" Blake replied, looking moderately disappointed in the results. "I forgot you have no shame."

"Not when it comes to you." Shrugging when Blake gave her a look, Yang let out a laugh as she stooped down and grabbed the blindfold off the ground. "We're totally keeping this for tonight," she said, watching Blake's linger on the strip of fabric for an enticingly-long time.

Leaning close, she pressed her lips to Blake's ear and whispered, "Guess who gets to wear it next?"

"I do!"

When the blindfold was snatched from her hand, Yang looked over in surprise - finding Ruby pulling it over her eyes while Weiss watched with a smug smile.

"I'm completely ok with this."

"Of course you are," Yang answered with an eye roll. Sharing a look with Blake and finding a small flame of desire in those amber eyes, Yang spurred to motion - willing to do anything to rekindle that fire.

"Ok!" she said, gaining everyone's attention while taking Blake's hand. "Let's eat my not-birthday cake so you can get out of here. I've _obviously_ got better things to do."

Blake blushed at the comment while everyone else groaned. Yang grinned at the response, knowing she was about to have the best not-birthday birthday anyone had ever had.


	10. Beach Day - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: Ruby solves problems at the beach using her supreme leader skills!**

* * *

"Alllllright!" Dropping her bag on the ground, Ruby extended both hands towards the expanse of blue in front of her. "Team RWBY beach day! A full day of fun and relaxing and soaking up the sun!"

"It's really nice out, too," Blake commented while laying her beach towel out on a patch of sand. Yang did the same (right next to Blake's, of course), before clapping her hands together once.

"I know what we should do first!" she said, grinning at what was probably an _awesome_ idea. "We should race to the buoy!"

"Yes!" Ruby instantly agreed, pumping one fist in the air at the suggestion. She was already ready to race Yang to the waves, but stopped when she saw Weiss sit down on a towel instead of joining them in the fun.

"Weiss?" she asked, watching her partner unpack her beach bag - pulling out sunglasses and a bottle of water. "Don't you want to race with us?"

"No, thank you."

"Aw come on!" Yang replied. "It'll be fun! Fair warning though - you'll probably lose."

While Yang snickered at the boast, Ruby watched Weiss for an answer.

"l don't want to," she said, leveling Yang with a glare. "Go ahead without me."

"But it's a competition! You love competitions!"

"Not this one."

"How is this one different?"

"It just is."

"But -"

"No."

While the two volleyed words back and forth, Ruby watched like someone sitting in the stands at a tennis match. The contest ended in a weird stalemate that neither she nor Yang understood - because they loved racing to the buoy! It was something they did every time they came to the beach, even though Yang always won.

Eventually, Yang gave up and shrugged - forfeiting the argument. Meanwhile, Weiss huffed and pulled her scroll out of her bag.

The two of them had these mini-arguments pretty often, but this one felt different than the others. Sure, Weiss could be difficult and stubborn, and she wouldn't do anything she didn't want to do, but her resistance this time was...weird. That's the only way Ruby could describe it.

"What do you think, Ruby?" Yang asked. "Wanna race?"

When Weiss huffed again, voicing her displeasure about _something_ , Ruby scrambled to think of an alternative plan for the day. She wanted everyone to have a good time! Which meant she needed to figure out why Weiss _wasn't_ having a good time.

Best Partner Duties coming right up!

"l wanna get a snowcone first!" she answered, spotting the cart nearby and pointing towards it. "Then we'll race!"

Glancing over her shoulder and spotting the snow cone cart, Yang shrugged again and grinned. "Sounds good. Get me an orange one?"

"Sure! Blake - do you want one?"

Before answering, Blake looked at Yang - who nodded enthusiastically.

"Might as well try one," she finally answered.

"They're great - I promise!" Ruby added for extra-convincing power. "What flavor? They have strawberry, watermelon, raspberry, blue raspberry - although I'm not sure how they taste different - regular melon, blueberry -"

"Orange," Blake interrupted before Ruby could rattle off the entire list. "I'll try an orange one, too."

Giving Blake a thumbs up, Ruby was silently grateful it was an easy order to remember. Turning around, she smiled at Weiss.

"Can you come with me?" she asked. "I can't carry all those by myself."

"Of course."

Immediately putting her scroll away, Weiss stood up and smiled.

See? This was what made Weiss' earlier resistance so weird! She was usually pretty willing to participate when Ruby asked. So, like...why wouldn't she race to the bouy? That's what Ruby was going to find out! Because Weiss wouldn't tell Yang, but she _had_ to tell Ruby the truth - that was part of a promise she'd made.

"Are you excited for a day off?" Ruby asked, waiting for Weiss to reach her so they could walk side-by-side over to the snow cone vendor.

"Of course. It's nice to relax for a day."

"Yeah, absolutely!" Hopping with that answer, Ruby then settled into a normal walk and snuck a glance at Weiss as they joined the back of the line to order.

"So, uh...what do you have against racing to the buoy?"

Weiss sighed at the question.

"I'm guessing that if I try to avoid answering that, you'll pout and point out the first rule of our 'best partner' agreement?"

"You know it!"

Weiss sighed again, but she didn't seem too upset by the response. This was why they'd made the Best Partner Agreement, after all! For times like these - when one of them didn't want to say something potentially embarrassing and the other really, _really_ wanted to know.

And to grow closer as partners and stuff like that…

"Ok," Weiss said, looking slightly hesitant. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course!"

Ruby _loved_ Weiss' secrets. It made her feel so special that Weiss trusted her with such important information! And boy did she have some humdingers! Like how -

Well, those were secrets. Ruby kept them locked away in a special vault in her mind, but she loved adding new ones!

"Ok, well..."

Pausing for a second, Weiss glanced around in search of anyone eavesdropping on their conversation. Finding no one to be concerned about, she still dropped her voice to a whisper.

"I kind of...can't swim."

"You - what? Really?"

Had Ruby heard that right? Weiss Schnee - the girl who could do _literally_ anything - couldn't swim?

"What'll you two ladies have?" the snow cone man broke in, glancing between the two of them while waiting for their order.

"Oh, uhhh…" Racking her brain, Ruby searched for what Blake and Yang had asked for.

"They both wanted orange," Weiss gently reminded her.

"Right! Two oranges and - can you make one that's half raspberry and half blue-raspberry?"

When the man nodded, Ruby grinned and turned to the side so Weiss could order.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied, waving the man off but pulling a ten Lien note from her wallet.

"Aww Weiss! You don't have to pay!"

"I'd like to," Weiss replied, leveling Ruby with an expression she hadn't yet figured out a way to say 'no' to.

"Okk…" she said instead, then smiled when two orange piles of shaved ice appeared in the holding stand in front of them. A half red, half blue snow cone appeared seconds later, which she picked up and took a big bite of while Weiss paid.

"They _do_ taste different!" Ruby exclaimed, staring at the cone in her hand before taking another bite.

"Are you sure?" Giving Ruby a teasing smile, Weiss picked up Blake and Yang's to carry back to their teammates.

"Pretty sure! The blue one is more...blue-y…"

Weiss' musical laugh put a smile on Ruby's face in a heartbeat. And with a considerable amount of good cheer, Ruby decided she was getting to the bottom of Weiss' unhappiness with the beach - and solving it!

"So...about that swimming thing?"

"It never came up, so I never learned," Weiss replied with a Yang-esque shrug. "It's not a huge deal. Just...is."

With that simple answer out in the open, Weiss walked over to their teammates and distributed the orange snow cones before sitting down on her towel. Nearly finished with her own, Ruby watched Weiss' demeanor and tried to figure out why she was still bothered by the situation even though she knew the answer.

Maybe it was because Weiss seemed...almost sad? Embarrassed? Disappointed? She was really hard on herself when she did something wrong - like missing a question on a test or missing one of their team moves. Was she being hard on herself for not knowing how to swim?

That was fixable! Being a super team leader and partner-extraordinaire, Ruby could figure out a way to teach Weiss how to swim _and_ keep her secret safe. Right? She totally could.

Turning in a slow circle, she searched the beach for ideas that could help her accomplish her goal. There was a lot going on, so there had to be _something_ she could use. Snow cone man, joggers, sunbathers, umbrellas, surfers, two people carrying a kayak, some kids building a sand castle -

An idea popped into her mind - and it only took the rest of her snow cone for a plan to form.

"I'll be right back!" she told her team before bounding over to the two kids playing in the wet sand near the waves.

"Hey guys!" she said, capturing the attentions of a little boy and girl who must be around seven - a.k.a. the best age to be. "How's it going?"

"Goooood!" they responded in near unison.

"I love your castle!" she added, pointing towards a big pile of sand without any smooth walls. "It looks like an ant king lives here or something."

"Yeah!" the little boy said, grinning at the idea. "An ant king and his ant soldiers!"

"And a butterfly queen!" the little girl added with a smile.

Chuckling at the response, Ruby glanced at her teammates and found Weiss watching her.

"Uh, so I was wondering if you two could help me with something!" she said, smiling at the two eager kids in front of her. "Do you know how to swim?"

When both of them nodded, she grinned.

"That's great! But can you pretend you _don't_ know how to swim for a little bit? If you do, I'll give you twenty Lien!"

From the way their eyes widened, she could've just offered them a _million_ Lien. She hadn't, because she wasn't rich. But fortunately, their little kid minds readily agreed.

"Yeah?" she asked, getting several more enthusiastic nods. "Ok, go tell your parents, then meet me by the water!"

Abandoning their plastic shovels and pails at the ant-castle, the two kids ran off to inform their parents while Ruby hurried back to her teammates.

"Hey guys!" she called out when she was within earshot. "Come on! You've gotta come with me!"

"What?" Blake asked, marking her place in her book with one finger. "Why?"

"I can't tell you right now," Ruby fibbed. "But I have a great idea - I know you'll like it!"

Blake narrowed her eyes - silently saying she didn't quite believe those words - but her gaze drifted to the side when Yang popped to her feet.

"I'm in for the mystery challenge!" she said, raising her hand to give Ruby a high-five.

"Yes!" Ruby replied, slapping Yang's hand and grinning at the current success of her plan. With Yang's agreement, Blake would agree next. And Weiss wouldn't want to be left out, so…

"I suppose I'll join you," Weiss said, pushing herself up from her beach towel. "Where are we going?"

"To the water!" Ruby declared, pointing towards the ocean.

Yang and Blake headed that way without a second thought, but Weiss grabbed Ruby's elbow before she could follow.

"Ruby -"

"Don't worry, Weiss," Ruby replied, winking at her partner. "Your secret's safe with me!"

Weiss was reluctant, but she followed Ruby regardless. Together, they met up with Yang and Blake at the edge of the beach - where the waves started washing over their ankles. Turning to the side, Ruby grinned when she saw the two little kids racing down the sand to them.

"I had a great idea!" Ruby said while the kids careered to a stop by her side. "I thought we'd teach these guys how to swim! Right?"

When she looked down at her willing participants, they obediently nodded and smiled.

"That sounds like fun!" Yang replied, kneeling down in front of the kids. "You guys want to be on Team Yang, right? Cuz I'm the best swimmer."

"Yeah!" both agreed, making Yang look up at Blake with a grin.

"You two help them," Ruby directed, pointing between her teammates and the kids. "Weiss and I will demonstrate!"

When everyone nodded in agreement, Ruby led them out in the shallows - where the water came up to about their stomachs and a little past the elbows of the kids.

"Ok, so it's real easy!" she said. "We'll hold you up in the water, and you move your arms like this -" she made a windmilling gesture with both arms. "While kicking your feet up and down! Watch!"

Motioning for Weiss to hold her arms out, Ruby leaned forward onto her partner's outstretched arms, dunked her head into the water, then started rowing her arms and kicking her feet like she'd just shown them. After doing that for a few moments, she stood up and wiped the water out of her eyes.

"Now you guys try!" she said, grinning at her enthusiastic disciples.

The little boy and girl practically dove into Blake and Yang's arms before kicking up a storm - splashing water everywhere while Yang laughed and Blake smiled in amusement. Meanwhile, Ruby held out her arms for Weiss.

"You too, Weiss! You can't make me do all the demonstrations by myself!"

When Weiss looked at her - clearly figuring out the entire plan at that moment - Ruby grinned. Weiss smiled in return, then leaned forward and kissed Ruby on the cheek.

"You're the best partner I could've asked for," Weiss whispered before laying down in Ruby's arms as instructed.

Stunned by the response, which was _way_ more appreciative than Ruby had expected, she held Weiss steady while she kicked and rowed her arms.

Ruby was just doing what any good partner would do, so it was no big deal, really! But good thing they were standing in water, because her cheeks were on _fire_.


	11. Read the Signs - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee  
** **Summary: The universe has someone special in mind for Blake**

* * *

"One small chai tea?" the barista asked, setting the cup on the countertop and making eye contact with Blake. Nodding once, she picked up the cup and moved away from the group of customers congregated near the pick-up area.

Heading towards the exit, she lifted the cup and took a small sniff but didn't attempt to drink it just yet - knowing it was still scalding hot. It _smelled_ fantastic though.

For most people, the spring weather was too warm for tea, but the heat didn't bother her in the slightest. In fact, she enjoyed a nice cup of tea while walking home from another weekend trip to the library. It kept her company, in a weird way - giving her something to sip at while daydreaming on her journey.

"Hey! Uh, excuse me!"

Turning around at the words, Blake found that the voice _was_ targeted towards her, and the young man who'd issued them was jogging across the sidewalk to her.

"Hey," he said again when he reached her, throwing on a charming smile.

"Um, hello," she replied, unsure what purpose he had for calling out to her. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, while you were waiting in line, I couldn't help noticing - well, you."

"Oh -"

"I just knew I had to talk to you," he added with another charismatic smile. "Not often such a pretty girl walks into my life!"

Well, at least he was direct. No beating around the bush or striking up a conversation on some topic he wasn't actually interested in. Simple, to-the-point, and completely unsolicited.

While he waited for her to respond to the compliment, she happened to notice a big white truck rumble down the street behind him. Blocky, black letters on a white background spelled out 'Just say no!' followed by the image of a cell phone with a red 'x' over it. As soon as the truck disappeared, the crosswalk signal flipped to the 'do not cross' sign and blinked at her repeatedly.

"Thank you," she replied with a polite smile, unsure of what she should say beyond that.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," he carried on, not seeming to notice or care about her lack of words. "But would you get dinner with me tonight?"

Again, simple, to-the-point, and unsolicited.

He _seemed_ like a nice guy, though. Decently attractive, maybe smart, maybe funny, certainly confident, but nothing was really pulling her one way or the -

"No, Mom," a girl on her phone said while brushing past them. "That will never, _ever_ happen. Like never. Don't even think about it."

When Blake's eyes followed the girl away, she noticed a jogger heading towards them. Several feet from reaching them, the man abruptly stopped, turned, and ran the other direction at a faster pace than before.

"Sorry. I'm not looking to date anyone right now," she answered, giving him a smile. For a brief moment he looked disappointed, then he found another grin.

"I'm sure I can change your mind on that!" he boasted with an even more confident smile.

"No, you really won't," she replied. "It was nice talking to you though."

Before he could get out another word, she turned and hastened away from the conversation - leaving him frozen to the sidewalk behind her.

By now, she'd learned to trust her instincts - or, at least, trust the seemingly-random occurrences surrounding these types of situations. She used to ignore the signs because she thought they meant nothing or were mere coincidences. She'd paid the price for that disregard with more than enough dates with narcissists, control-freaks, or borderline psychopaths.

That was then, and this was now. She knew better now. And she used that knowledge to steer clear of obvious 'no's.

Sometimes, she wondered who she was waiting for though. Thus far, the only people she'd met were vehemently vetoed by the universe.

Sipping her no-longer-scalding tea and making her way home, she thought that a better question might be - who was _she_ looking for? What type of person did _she_ hope to find? Instead of letting strangers approach her, maybe she should be searching instead.

That was an interesting thought. What type of person did she want? Someone with a big heart, definitely. A good sense of humor. Intelligent, but not pompously so. And a great smile would be nice.

Would the universe approve of someone like that? Or would she be met with more and more signs that she'd found the wrong person for herself?

Maybe the answer was that she was destined to be alone for her entire life. Considering the amount of time she spent reading, it didn't seem like much of a stretch. Or maybe there just wasn't anyone meant for her. Maybe she was...undateable?

A block from home and finished with her tea, Blake moved to the other side of the sidewalk so she could throw her cup away in one of the garbage cans. A flash of movement caught her attention then, but she had no time to react before someone slammed into her side.

She heard a soft "oof" leave her lips as the force of the collision took her right off her feet. Thankfully, the shrubs hemming in the apartment building on the other side of the sidewalk halted her fall, leaving her mostly upright in a collection of twigs and leaves.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

Confused and disoriented by the sudden change, Blake turned towards the voice and saw...nothing but the sun shining directly in her eyes. Whoever had spoken hurried over, blocking the sun while reaching out to help her to her feet.

And that person was...probably the most beautiful girl Blake had ever laid eyes upon. Tall with long waves of blonde hair, vivid lilac eyes, and - at the moment - the glow of the sun at her back, the girl looked like an angel.

"I'm really, really sorry," she said while gently helping Blake out of the shrubs. "I wasn't looking and - god, I'm so sorry. Are you ok?"

"I think so," Blake mumbled, averting her eyes from that enchanting gaze when she felt her cheeks heating up. Taking a deep breath, she took stock of her limbs and found everything in working order. "None the worse for wear," she concluded, giving the girl a smile that was tepidly returned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Blake replied without hesitation.

"Ok...I'm really sorry though! And I'll buy you another coffee -"

Glancing around, Blake spotted her runaway cup and walked over to pluck it off the ground.

"That's ok," she said, giving it a little shake to show that it was empty. "I'd already finished it."

Crossing the sidewalk, Blake threw the cup into the garbage can right as a truck advertising a moving company drove by - a moving company with the slogan 'Hell yes!' plastered all over the side.

"I still feel like I should get you a new one," the girl insisted - those pleading eyes doing wonders in sending butterflies through Blake's chest. "I mean, I ran into you pretty hard…"

Spotting the crosswalk signal showing the word 'walk,' Blake chuckled to herself while searching for the disturbance that caused their collision.

"Why were you running, anyway?" she asked, her curiosity immediately growing when the girl looked embarrassed by the answer.

"I was - uh, there was a bee chasing me…"

The answer made Blake laugh while also trying to nod in understanding.

"Ah, that makes much more sense," she replied, but one more giggle slipped out - a giggle that made the girl in front of her smile. "I'm Blake, by the way," she added, extending one hand in greeting.

"Hi Blake," the girl replied, shaking Blake's hand and holding on a second longer than necessary. "I'm Yang. Unless you're secretly mad about the whole 'running into you' thing. In that case, my name's Weiss."

Shaking her head, Blake smiled at the joke.

"I'm not mad. Just...surprised. I wasn't expecting...this."

Blake was speaking about much more than being knocked off her feet by a beautiful blonde running away from a bee. She was speaking about the way her heart was beating so quickly, and the way her palms were sweating and her stomach filled with butterflies.

More than any of that, she was speaking about the lack of negative signs.

Hearing the tune of a harmonica, she turned to the side and watched as a barbershop quartet - standing at the top of the steps to a nearby apartment building - burst into song.

"She's the one - oooohhh, oohhhh -"

Turning away, Blake caught sight of a minister - that's right, a minister - walking past them. Dressed in his church outfit, he made direct eye contact with her, smiled, and nodded before carrying on.

"Uh, sorry to be forward," Yang said, drawing Blake's attention once again. "But...I kinda feel like we were supposed to meet. Is that weird?"

As Blake watched not one, not two, but _three_ moving trucks drive past - their blatant 'Hell yes!' repeated over and over - she laughed and shook her head.

"Believe me, that's not forward at all."

"Ok, good." For a second, Yang looked immensely relieved by the response - as if she really didn't want Blake to think she was crazy for picking up on the surge of new feelings running between them.

"Then, uh, maybe I can still get you another coffee - so we can talk?" she offered, her smile growing when Blake nodded.

"I'd love that."

Yang was clearly thrilled by the response and displayed the emotion openly for anyone to see. The sight filled Blake with a feeling of...all-consuming happiness and excitement.

For the first time ever, she had the universe's blessing.

"Your pick," Yang said, motioning with one hand for Blake to decide where they'd go for their very first date. Heading back the way she'd just come from, Blake smiled at how her fortunes had suddenly taken a turn for the better.

"Do you always run from bees?" she asked, her heart briefly beating faster when Yang laughed.

"Not usually, but it was one of those giant bumblebees! And man, that thing really had it out for me. Chased me basically an entire block."

While Yang saw it as an anomaly of nature, Blake saw it as something more - a force that very literally drove them together. And now she understood, very clearly, why the universe made her wait.

Even though Yang was a stranger, Blake was already feeling things that she'd never experienced with any of the others who'd approached on their own accord. There was something different about Yang...something immediately evident in her posture, voice, or eyes that made it impossible not to fall - not to feel a rush of very strong, very real emotions.

Why settle for mediocrity, when you could wait for magnificence?

Spotting movement up ahead, Blake watched an elated man running down the sidewalk towards them giving high-fives to everyone he passed. As soon as he was close enough, he stopped and raised his hand for Blake - and she gladly raised her own to accept the gesture.

"It's a great day!" he exclaimed before rushing off in search of another person to celebrate with.

"It is," she agreed as they started walking again.

"Know him?" Yang asked.

"Nope. He's just...giving me a sign, I guess."

Turning to the side, Yang smiled - a really, really great smile that made Blake's heart jump in her chest.

"l hope it's a good one."

Feeling another burst of happy emotions, Blake smiled in return.

"Very good."


	12. Unscripted - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Weiss' plans for an evening with Ruby go a little different than originally planned.**

* * *

Opening the top drawer of her dresser, Weiss pulled out a small jewelry box and set it on top of Ruby's stack of weapon books. Flipping open the lid, she moved one finger above the selection of necklaces before making a decision - the clear winner for tonight's outing being a simple crystal pendant hanging on a silver chain. Separating the necklace from the others, she undid the clasp and moved her ponytail to the side in order to fasten it around her neck.

"What are your plans tonight?" Blake asked while Weiss moved her hair back into place and returned the jewelry box to the drawer.

"First, we're going to dinner," she answered, picking up her clutch and making sure various methods of payment were inside.

"Where at?"

After confirming that her credit cards were in her bag (for the third time), she zipped it closed and set it on top of the drawers. Only then did she turn her attention to Blake - who'd been studying her preparation process for the past hour.

"That restaurant she really likes - the one downtown that makes everything in front of you with fire?"

Making a hand motion for fire, Weiss didn't pause when Blake nodded.

"Then we'll go to the ice cream parlor so she can get that ice cream monstrosity she loves so much. After that, I reserved a carriage to drive us around downtown to see the lights now that they're up - we'll stop at Schnee tower, which was just decorated in red and white - her favorite colors. That's where I arranged for us to meet that weaponsmith she adores - he'll give us a personal training session."

Taking a deep breath, Weiss glanced Blake's way and saw a shocked expression, so tried to wrap up the exhaustive list as quickly as possible.

"I thought it'd be nice to take a personal airship home, but I called in advance and got the pilot's agreement to let her fly for a bit. Then we'll come back to the room."

At the end of her plans for the evening, Weiss shrugged - hoping that the Yang-esque gesture dulled some of Blake's surprise.

"Wow. Weiss - just...wow. That's…"

"Well-planned?" Weiss offered, hoping that's what Blake was going for.

"That. Or...just...a very intense first date."

'Intense' was a word Weiss got often. The way she studied, the way she trained, the way she approached life, in general, was viewed as 'intense' by most people. By now, she'd accepted that side of herself, but when it came to planning this evening...her innate 'intenseness' spiraled out of control.

"I just...wanted everything to be perfect," she confessed, feeling relieved when Blake nodded and gave a kind smile.

"Are you excited?"

For a few moments, Weiss thought about the question carefully - experiencing a rush of new emotions she hadn't yet developed a process to deal with.

"I'm excited, but also...a little nervous," she admitted, watching Blake's ears twitch at the honest reply. "Because I'm hoping that…"

Pausing for a second, Weiss blushed when the next thought popped into her mind - but she already knew she was going to say it aloud. For as rocky as the beginning of their friendship might have been, she now counted Blake as one of her closest friends - which meant she'd willingly share information, even if it made her feel...exposed.

"I'm hoping that…" she tried again, clasping and unclasping her hands in front of her. "If tonight goes well enough, it can...lead to something?"

When Blake smiled and sat a little straighter, Weiss rushed forward.

"Nothing serious - or, you know, scandalous. More like something that confirms that...this is real? That it's not just me with all these crazy feelings."

"It's not just you," Blake answered, the certainty in her tone doing wonders to ease some of Weiss' nerves. "I'm sure she'll have a blast, and something could happen - if you both want it to."

Weiss smiled at the subtle encouragement, which was exactly what she'd come to expect from Blake. While Yang had a much more vocal 'rah, rah' style, Blake had a type of quiet strength that worked just as well - if not better - in certain instances. No matter the circumstances, Weiss found herself wanting to believe that what Blake said was true - because she'd know more about this particular subject than Weiss did.

"How did it first happen -" she began to ask, feeling her embarrassment mount while attempting to gather more information. "For you two?" she specified. "You know, your first one?"

The moment Blake smiled, Weiss' embarrassment faded away.

"Well, it was nothing as elaborate as that," Blake replied with a shake of her head. "It wasn't even an official date, I don't think. We had some free time so went for a walk at the edge of the forest, talking about anything and everything. Then she told me I was beautiful, and it...it was just natural for it to happen at that moment."

When Blake's gaze drifted to the door, her smile grew fonder in memory. For Weiss, it was the type of story that normally made her say 'aww' out loud. Instead, her nerves returned while she tried to imagine her own magic moment happening that way.

"I hope it will be that easy," she said. "But, well...you know how she is."

Chuckling at the thought, Blake grabbed a book from the dresser and sat back against the wall by her bed. "It's almost guaranteed to be awkward," she replied before flipping open the book, ready to lose herself in another world.

Weiss sighed at the accurate response but waited on pins and needles anyway. It wouldn't be long - actually, they should leave any minute now. She was ready - _so_ ready for them to move forward - but also incredibly nervous about taking this step with someone.

As soon as she heard the door handle turn, she spun towards the hall and watched the door swing open. The next second, Yang walked inside and kicked the door shut behind her. The action wasn't uncommon, but -

"Coming through," Yang huffed while walking over to the beds. "One nearly-unconscious Ruby Rose here."

Spotting the state of her partner - currently nursing a noticeable bump on her forehead while slumped over Yang's shoulder, Weiss hurried over.

"Ruby, what happened?" she asked, her concern rising while Yang carefully deposited Ruby on Weiss' bed.

"Was trying a new move..." Ruby mumbled, reaching up and wincing when her hand grazed her forehead. "Wanted to call it 'The Rocket.'"

"Yeah, and you rocketed yourself straight into that wall," Yang replied with a shake of her head. "There's probably gonna be a Ruby-sized imprint there for a _long_ time."

When Ruby's only response was to groan and sink into Weiss' covers, Weiss sat down by Ruby's side and examined the extent of the impending bruise. From initial glance, it looked like Ruby managed to hit her head fairly hard. Thankfully, she wouldn't have a black eye like last time, but it would still be worthy of several stories when classes resumed on Monday.

Gently brushing several stray strands of hair from Ruby's eyes - careful not to touch the sore spot on her head - Weiss felt a twinge of disappointment as she sighed at the current predicament. But, disappointment or not, she knew what needed to happen now.

"You shouldn't go out like this."

"What?" Ruby yelped. She immediately tried to sit up, but Weiss pressed her down by the shoulder. "But I want to go!" she whined regardless. "I can still go! It's just a big bruise and kind of a headache - I've survived worse!"

For a long time, Weiss examined Ruby and weighed their options. Truthfully, she still wanted to go, too. After putting so much time and effort into planning the night, and looking forward to their moment for so long, she didn't want it delayed any longer. But some things were more important than what Weiss wanted - and Ruby's health was one of them.

"We'll go some other time," Weiss decided, touching Ruby's shoulder and smiling. "I'd rather stay here."

"But -"

"Really," she added before Ruby could argue, knowing that Ruby's argument might sway her in the opposite direction.

This time, it was Ruby who studied Weiss while trying to figure out just how ok she was with the situation. After several seconds of this, Ruby finally relaxed - looking somewhat relieved as she did so.

"Ok…I'd probably scare people like this anyway..."

"That's the spirit," Weiss replied with a smile that the two of them briefly shared. "Now stay here and I'll get you some ice."

After standing up, Weiss decided there was something else she needed to do first. Grabbing her clutch - which would go unused tonight - she pulled out one of her credit cards and offered it to Blake, who took it with a great deal of curiosity in her eyes.

"The reservation is at seven," Weiss explained, watching Blake's ears twist in surprise. "I'll text you the rest of the details."

"Weiss -"

"I hope you two have fun," she said, smiling at Blake and Yang before heading to the small refrigerator/freezer tucked in the corner of their room. Due to the nature of their schooling, several ice packs were stacked in the freezer at all times, making it quick and easy to pull one out when needed.

After grabbing the first one her hand landed upon, Weiss wrapped it in a towel (a trick she learned from Ruby just recently) before heading back to the bed. She barely glanced over when Blake and Yang left the room - the two girls embarking on the date Weiss had planned for Ruby. She knew the two of them would have a good time, which - remarkably - made her feel better about missing out on the night.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, retaking her place by Ruby's side and handing over the ice pack. "Can I get you anything else?"

"I feel ok. I'm just...maybe a little thirsty…"

Without a second thought, Weiss retrieved a bottle of water from the case under the bed and opened the cap before handing it to Ruby - who propped herself up on Weiss' pillows to drain half the bottle in several gulps.

"What were you trying to do?" Weiss asked while Ruby closed the bottle and set it to the side.

"I was using my semblance to burst in a really sharp turn close to the wall, and I stopped too late, I guess. I thought I had enough time but...apparently not."

"Ah…"

While Ruby gently pressed the ice pack to her head, Weiss considered the logistics of that move.

Because Ruby was still learning the depths of her semblance, moments like these were bound to happen every so often. This was why they trained so hard - so the timing was straightened out _before_ they found themselves in a life or death situation. The last thing they needed was for Ruby to knock herself out on a tree while being chased by Beowolves. Although, the forest was much more different than Beacon's practice rooms -

"Did you consider the flooring?" Weiss asked when the thought occurred to her.

"What do you mean?"

"The practice rooms have slick floors - that's not what you'd find in the forest."

At first, Ruby stared. Then her eyes - or the one not blocked by the pack of ice - widened in realization.

"Holy crap! You're totally right!"

"So maybe your timing was right -"

"Maybe it was!" Ruby quickly agreed, latching onto the idea that she hadn't blasted into a wall for no good reason. "On a different surface, I wouldn't have slid so far, so I would've had enough time to make the turn - you're so smart, Weiss!"

Again, the compliment was given so openly and so freely, Weiss didn't know what to do with it. This happened often with Ruby, and it was part of the reason Weiss' feelings around her partner had been shooting through the moon as of late.

"So," she said, trying to change the subject and fight the blush off her cheeks. "Since we're staying in, would you like to watch a movie? How about that documentary you like so much - How to Make a Sun?"

"That sounds like fun!"

"Great." Smiling at Ruby's enthusiasm, Weiss stood up and gestured for Ruby to stay put. "Let me find the movie then -"

"Uh, wait - Weiss?"

When Weiss turned back to the bed, she watched in confusion as Ruby set down the ice pack and stood up.

"Yes?"

"I'm...uh, I'm really sorry we couldn't go out tonight," Ruby said, frowning down at her hands. "I hope you don't think I didn't want to go or anything, because I really did."

By now, Weiss knew Ruby - and she knew Ruby would never intentionally try to get out of their first date. It was just...an accident.

"I know, Ruby," she replied with a reassuring smile.

The words worked wonders in putting a smile back on Ruby's face, which was all Weiss ever wanted to see, anyway. Wasn't that the point of the entire evening she'd planned - to make Ruby happy?

"Good," Ruby said with a nod, her smile turning into that quirky grin Weiss adored so much. "Because I really wanted to go. I still do - want to...go out with you, you know - like that."

Smiling at the near-perfect replay of Ruby's first agreement for a date, Weiss was about to respond when Ruby abruptly leaned forward and kissed her - nothing more than a peck on the lips that lasted under a second before it ended.

"Promise to make it up to you," Ruby quickly said before hopping back into bed and covering her red cheeks with the ice pack.

Weiss, meanwhile, stared for a good few moments before Ruby peeked past the ice and then immediately hid her eyes again. Taking that as her cue to do something, Weiss turned and nearly levitated to the other side of the room. It took her a while to remember what she'd been doing, but she eventually made it to their stack of movies and took her time searching - using the time to straighten out her flustered thoughts.

In a single action, Ruby _more_ than made up for missing their evening plans.

Grabbing the movie and heading back to the bed, Weiss first sent a quick message to Blake with some necessary details, then set up her scroll to play the film and sat next to Ruby. As usual, Ruby leaned into her side and made her feel...incredibly flustered and excited at the same time.

"I hope that was ok…" Ruby whispered, sounding apologetic for making Weiss' entire year better.

"More than ok," she replied, taking Ruby's hand and giving it a quick squeeze before holding onto it for the beginning of the movie.

Of course, now she couldn't pay attention to what was happening on the screen. Instead, her mind ran through that moment over and over again - rejoicing in the sensation, in Ruby returning those feelings, and already looking forward to their next kiss.

The more she thought about it, the sillier she felt for going through so much trouble to begin with. Because Blake was right - there was absolutely no way Weiss could've planned or influenced that moment. As usual, progress in their relationship happened in the most Ruby-way possible - out-of-the-blue, spontaneous, and unscripted.


	13. Proof of Love - R

**Pairing: Bumblebee (kind of) - mostly friendly ladybug.  
** **Summary: Ruby wants to have an important talk with Blake.**

* * *

"Do you wanna try that new place tonight? The one across from the airship station?"

"Depends...do they have any seafood?"

"Uh, I dunno." For a split second, it looked like Yang might actually look up the menu on her scroll, but then she did what she did best - shrugged and laughed. "If they don't, we'll go down to the harbor and I'll catch you a fish myself!"

The response made Blake laugh - the uncharacteristic sound drawing Yang's eyes and a blinding grin.

"Sounds like a good deal," Blake answered, meeting Yang's gaze as they walked side-by-side through the hall.

"Yeah? Then we have a...a date?"

At the question, Blake shot the quickest glance Ruby's way before nodding.

"Yes."

"Great! Let's go later then?"

When Blake nodded - again after a quick look Ruby's way - Yang grinned and swung her arms as they headed out of the practice rooms. Ruby, meanwhile, felt her brow furrow as she looked between her teammates.

Blake and Yang had become more of an 'item' recently, which meant they were glued to each other's hips at all times. Ruby didn't mind the constant interaction, and she loved that Yang was so happy, but it had made things a little...awkward? And she didn't know why!

"We're going to return these!" Yang called out behind her, easily raising the heavy practice dummy in one hand. "Meet you at the room!"

While Blake and Yang split off to the equipment room, Ruby watched them go while continuing towards the dorms with Weiss.

"They sure like spending time together, don't they?" Weiss commented as they walked across Beacon's grounds.

"They do…"

Ruby's mind kept coming back to how _happy_ Yang was, so this was a _good_ thing. But she hadn't talked to Blake about it yet, so it had become this weird, kind of uncomfortable subject between them. They used to laugh and joke about Yang all the time (mostly at Yang's expense), but now Blake remained tight-lipped - like she didn't want to accidentally say the wrong thing. But what could possibly be the wrong thing?

Whatever Blake's reason was, it made things awkward. So, not only was Ruby concerned for Yang's happiness, but she wanted her friend back!

"Hey Weiss?" she asked as they approached the tall building that served as their temporary home.

"Yes?"

"Think you could get Yang out of the room for a few minutes when they get back?"

As soon as Ruby made the request, Weiss looked at her - for a brief moment in surprise, but it wasn't long until realization dawned.

"You're finally going to talk to her?"

"I'm going to try…" Ruby answered before realizing something important - mainly, that she'd never mentioned this nagging feeling to Weiss. "Wait, how do you know?"

"You've been staring at them for the past few weeks. It was either you wanted to talk to Blake, or you're in love with one of them - or both of them."

When Ruby's eyes widened at the suggestion, Weiss laughed and shook her head.

"But yes, I can distract Yang so you two can talk - grimm knows you both need it."

Ruby hadn't realized she was being so obvious, but she still grinned at Weiss' willing participation in this impromptu plan.

"Thanks, Weiss!" she said, skipping into their dorm room and tossing Crescent Rose onto the ground.

"Don't mention it."

While Weiss stored Myrtenaster and picked up Crescent Rose to carefully lean against the wall, Ruby hopped onto her bed and used the next few minutes to think of what she wanted to say. Which was...a really great question. What did she want to say? What was her ultimate goal? Besides fulfilling her duty as a little sister?

Unfortunately, answers were few and far between today. By the time Yang and Blake walked into the room - still chatting amongst themselves - Ruby had figured out exactly nothing in terms of how to have this conversation. She knew it had to happen, but...she wasn't exactly a wizard with words, ya know? That was Yang. Yang could have this conversation, no problem. Although Yang would probably threaten violence or something...

Maybe Ruby should hold Crescent Rose? But Blake was really hard to scare...contrary to the 'scaredy-cat' term.

"Hey Yang?" Weiss asked - _way_ before Ruby was ready. "Can you come with me to turn in these assignments? I think at least one partner needs to be there."

Holding up the stacks of paper they'd finished up last night, Weiss smiled when Yang nodded and reached out for the forms.

"Sure!" she said before smiling at Blake. "We'll leave when I get back?"

"Sounds good."

With that answer, Yang happily grabbed her and Blake's copies of the assignment and followed Weiss out of the room. While closing the door, Weiss winked at Ruby for...encouragement, most likely.

Which Ruby needed. Because as soon as the door closed, the most uncomfortable silence took over the room...

Maybe it wasn't _that_ uncomfortable, but it was pretty uncomfortable for her. It was like...there was this giant topic they both refused to talk about.

Until now! Because right now, at this very moment, they were going to have…'the talk.'

(Ruby was pretty sure it was called 'the talk,' but she'd confirm with Weiss later.)

"Hey Blake?" she asked, jumping down from her bed and immediately regretting the decision. Standing in the center of the room, she felt about a billion times more awkward. But Blake looked cool as a cucumber as she turned around from her dresser.

"Yes?"

As soon as those amber eyes landed on her, Ruby felt her resolve run away. She tried to catch it, but most of it was gone in a heartbeat. Something about Blake's eyes...it always felt like she was reading your thoughts...

"I was hoping we could...talk," Ruby pressed forward, silently congratulating herself for making it this far. Apparently, she cared about Yang's happiness more than she thought!

"Sure." Leaning against one of the bed posts, Blake gave Ruby a small smile. "What do you want to talk about?"

"It's - I just...I want to talk about Yang." When Ruby mustered out the words, Blake's ears twitched - probably in surprise, maybe in annoyance - it was hard to tell sometimes. "And, you know, like...your relationship."

"Our...do you - really?"

The surprise in Blake's tone was reassuring because it meant she actually _couldn't_ read Ruby's thoughts.

"Yes," Ruby answered, praying she wasn't messing this up. "I wanted to talk about Yang and your...intentions with her."

For a split second, it looked like Blake wanted to laugh, but when Ruby didn't giggle or smile, her expression turned serious.

"Oh - ok, sure. Of course." Suddenly looking like she didn't know what to do with her arms, Blake folded them across her chest before unfolding them and clasping her hands together. "What do you want to know?"

This was it - the huge elephant in the room that neither of them talked about. Ruby'd just pointed to it and said, 'Hey, look at that elephant!' Of course, she did that while having no idea what to say next, but the best plans were made on the fly!

(Weiss never agreed with that, but she'd see the light one day.)

"Uh, well, like - so I saw this show once," Ruby said, doing what she did best in times of stress - rambling. "It was about this different culture in like...Vacuo or something. I actually think it was supposed to be in the future? Anyway, part of the show was how people couldn't get married unless they proved themselves to their wife or husband's family."

When Blake's ears flicked in surprise, Ruby hurried onward - having no idea if that was a good or bad sign.

"I dunno why, but that's just how it was - in the show, at least. I remember one guy really wanted to marry this girl, so he like...learned all these crazy fighting moves and kicked a bunch of butt. And then this other guy - he was like, from super wealthy family - and he gave all his money away to prove he loved this girl."

"Wait -" Blake cut in, finally stopping what might've become an episode-by-episode review of the entire series. "Are you saying that you want me to beat up a bunch of people? To prove that I - to prove my feelings for Yang?"

"What?" Briefly confused about how Blake had drawn that conclusion, Ruby shook her head and waved her hands. "No! Of course not! I guess - uh, well, I just...I love seeing Yang happy, and I know you're the one making her happy, but like...I don't want her to get hurt. She's really important to me."

That seemed like the best thing to say because it was the truth. And, after looking at Ruby for a long time, Blake relaxed into a smile and nodded.

"She's really important to me, too," she said. "If you're asking me how much I care about her...it's...it's a lot, Ruby. And I have no plans of hurting her - that's the last thing I ever want to do. She deserves to be happy."

Satisfied with that answer, Ruby giggled - feeling incredibly relieved that she finally heard the words from Blake directly.

"Good!" she said, nodding all the while. "And like, I also don't want you to think you can't talk to me! I miss when we'd like...joke about her and stuff. I know she's my sister 'n all, but you're my friend. I miss...I just miss talking to you."

Raising both hands in an imploring gesture, Ruby felt a wave of happiness wash over her when Blake smiled - not at all upset or embarrassed about the conversation Ruby'd dreaded for a long time now.

"I'm sorry," Blake replied instead, her ears broadcasting the apology as much as her words did. "That's my fault. I was really self-conscious about what I might say because I didn't want to make you...uncomfortable."

"I won't be uncomfortable!" When Blake raised a brow in disbelief, Ruby backpedaled from the claim. "I mean, as long as you don't give me like...super personal details, I won't be."

"Deal," Blake replied with a smile that made Ruby beam. "Those will go to Weiss then."

Spotting the familiar playful smirk, Ruby groaned and gave Blake's shoulder a light push away from her.

"As long as Weiss doesn't tell me!"

After both of them chuckled, a few seconds of silence fell over them - this silence being _much_ more comfortable than the last.

"Thanks for talking to me," Blake finally said.

"Of course! Oh! And now we can say we've had 'the talk!'"

The thought made Ruby bounce with happiness, but Blake's face fell in confusion.

"What?"

Before Ruby could explain what 'the talk' meant, the door opened and the other half of their team walked back in.

"Done!" Yang proclaimed before extending one hand and smiling when Blake reached out to take it. "Ready to go?"

"Of course."

Ruby smiled at the happy couple as they headed for the door, but Blake suddenly stopped and let go of Yang's hand.

"Hold on," she said, rushing to the side of the room and quickly rummaging for something in her luggage. After finding what she was searching for - an old notebook - she stood up and handed it to Ruby.

"Proof," she whispered before backing away with a smile, allowing Yang to take her hand again and lead her out of the room.

As soon as the door closed, Ruby looked at the notebook and found that it was...just a plain classroom notebook. It looked vaguely familiar - like maybe she'd seen Blake use it for class before.

Flipping it open, Ruby discovered that it was full of notes. But, when she looked closer, she spotted something else scribbled, scrawled, and meticulously printed in the margins of every page. There were little sketches of Yang - sketches of Ember Celica - jokes that were most definitely Yang's crappy puns - names of shows Yang loved - Yang's birthday - a list of gift ideas - direct quotes - and more.

The entire notebook was basically an encyclopedia of Yang information cleverly hidden amongst class notes.

"How'd it go?" Weiss asked, drawing Ruby's attention away from a page towards the back of the book - where Yang's name was written within a little heart.

"It went -" Glancing at the page one more time, Ruby grinned and flipped it shut. "It went really well! She _really_ likes Yang."

Weiss huffed at the comment and walked over to the desk. "I could've told you that…" she muttered while pulling out her own notebooks to start on homework.

As Weiss did that, Ruby glanced again at the notebook in her hands.

Maybe it wasn't beating a bunch of dudes up or giving away a life's fortune, but it was proof that Blake's feelings were real.

Plus, Blake was kind of a teenager! Look at her name and Yang's written in the same heart together!


	14. Let's (try to) Make a Match

**Pairing: Freezerbros  
** **Summary:** **Weiss and Yang continue trying to make something happen with their respective partners. (A continuation to Ch. 8 - Let's Make a Match)**

* * *

"Ah… _love_ the weekends," Yang said - stating the obvious, but _someone_ had to do it. Turning to Blake, she grinned. "What do you wanna do today? Maybe a hike? Check out a new restaurant?"

"Actually...I was thinking we could mix it up today."

The response caught her complete attention in a heartbeat.

"Oh?" she asked, raising her brow while thinking of what Blake could mean. "What's that?"

"I thought we could switch partners today," Blake answered, knocking the grin right off of Yang's face while gesturing towards Ruby. "There are a few new exhibits we wanted to check out at the student center, and we thought you and Weiss could hang out while we do that."

The answer was not _at all_ what Yang expected. And when she glanced at Weiss, she could tell it was equally unexpected by their most surly teammate. Either that, or Weiss was eating slices of lemon again.

"Uh...if that's what you want?" Yang replied, her disappointment growing when Blake smiled and nodded.

"It'll be fun!" Ruby piped in, practically glowing at the prospect of whatever new weapon Beacon brought in for analysis. "Partner-switching day!"

Somehow, Yang managed a chuckle while Ruby pulled Blake out of the room - heading off on their great adventure. But, as Ruby's chipper voice floated down the hall, Yang turned to Weiss in confusion.

"So...I guess we're hanging out today?"

Weiss' response to roll her eyes and sit at the desk.

"Guess I'll get ahead on next week's assignment then," she muttered while pulling out a notebook and flipping open a textbook. Meanwhile, Yang sat on Blake's bed and stared towards the door - flabbergasted by what just happened.

It was kind of a thing - like a routine or a habit - that she and Blake hung out on the weekends. That's just...what they did. Hiking, trying new places to eat, shopping, finding some scary-high place to sit and talk...that's what weekends were for! And Yang loved every moment of it. Well, she loved every minute with Blake.

But Blake wanted to hang out with Ruby today? What was that about? Did that mean she was tired of spending time together? Or maybe...did she _prefer_ spending time with Ruby? Did she like Ruby...more than Yang?

"Weiss," Yang said when she had a sudden, awful thought.

"Hmm?" Weiss replied, her eyes never leaving the page.

"What if…what if _they_ like each other?"

The question finally broke Weiss away from her studying, as she huffed and gave Yang an amused look.

"I don't think that's the case."

"Think about it!" Yang said, hurrying across the room and pulling over a chair to sit beside Weiss. "They both like reading -" she said in a quieter voice.

"I like reading," Weiss cut in, but Yang just shook her head and continued.

"They both like reading _fantasy-type_ stories," she clarified, to which Weiss had no rebuttal. "They love geeking out over weapons, and watching that weird show about making weapons, and _clearly_ they'd rather spend time with each other than with either of us!"

Weiss huffed again - still skeptical - but her eyes were losing some of that firm resolve they'd just had.

"They're friends -"

"Just like you're friends with Ruby?"

This time, Weiss' response was the purse her lips and crease her brow.

But Yang had her there. They both knew about each other's slightly-massive-and-growing-by-the-minute crushes on their partners. So sure, Weiss could claim to be Ruby's friend, but Yang knew that was the _least_ of her desires.

"Well," Weiss finally replied. "If that's what she wants -"

When Weiss tried to turn away, Yang caught the edge of the chair and turned her back.

"That's it? You're giving up without a fight?"

"What else am I supposed to do? If Ruby likes Blake...like that...then I'll have to accept her choice."

"No, no, no," Yang said, shaking her head at the foolishness of that response. "If _they_ get together, _we'll_ have to get together - and sorry, but I don't wanna do that."

"What? Why would we have to get together?"

"Because! If we don't, it'll be obvious that we liked them instead. But if _we_ started dating, we'd convince them that we didn't _actually_ have feelings and can be happy for them!"

"That makes no sense."

"Well, whatever!" Yang said with a shake of her head. "Just - we're not giving up! We're doing the opposite of giving up!"

When Yang stood up, Weiss looked at her curiously.

"Which is…?"

Realizing that this was her time to come up with an awesome plan, Yang searched her brain before saying the first thing that came to mind.

"Come on! We're going to the student center."

Grabbing Weiss' hand and pulling her into the hall, Yang ignored the sputters from behind her while hurrying towards their destination.

"Yang, this is a horrible idea," Weiss protested as they rushed outside and across the lawn to the big building housing the student center.

"You don't even know what it is yet!"

"I don't have to hear it to know it's a horrible idea."

"We're not going down without a fight!" Yang replied as the doorway loomed ahead of them. Instead of more complaints, she only heard a heavy sigh from behind her - which meant that Weiss was _secretly_ on board with whatever Yang planned to do. Weiss just couldn't _say_ she was on board without agreeing with one of Yang's ideas, which would never happen.

After taking a quick peek through the front door to make sure the coast was clear, Yang pulled it open and snuck inside. If Blake and Ruby were checking out the new weapons, they'd be in the auditorium just to the left. If they turned towards the lobby, they'd spot Yang and Weiss - which meant they needed a good place to hide.

"Come on," Yang whispered, making a beeline across the doorway of the auditorium and ducking behind a potted tree. From there, she pushed a few branches to the side and searched for their partners.

Several stations were set up at various spots around the auditorium, each holding a crazy weapon that students were free to look at and even try out, in some instances. Many were donated, but some were discovered and brought to Beacon for analysis - professors and students alike.

"There they are."

"Where?" Yang asked, doubling her effort and focusing on the left half of the room when Weiss pointed that way. Seconds later, she spotted the dual objects of their affection - Blake and Ruby poring over a green and black longsword that had a sinister sheen to it.

Ruby was talking about something while her nose practically touched the blade. She must've made a joke, because Blake laughed - the happy sound making Yang's heart do a backflip all the way across the room.

"What's your plan?" Weiss whispered while both of them watched the interaction take place.

"Step one - study your enemy -"

Weiss let out a short huff at the response and nudged Yang's shoulder.

"Are you saying Ruby's your enemy?"

"If she's going after Blake, she is!" Yang replied, unwittingly breaking into a smile when Ruby's cheerful giggle reached her ears. "Dammit," she muttered while Weiss smirked at her. "It's not my fault Ruby's so cute!"

"Can't argue with you there…" Weiss replied, turning back to the auditorium and watching her partner skip to the next weapon. "So what're we supposed to do? Walk over and interrupt?"

Yang scoffed at the amateur suggestion.

"Please. We're not doing anything like that. We're here to observe their interactions."

"So...we're spying on them."

" _Observing_ their interactions."

"This is dumb."

"Come on, Weiss," Yang said, turning towards the ornery girl. "Can you really tell me that you're ok with this? Do you think Blake is better for Ruby than you are?"

Knowing she made a good point there, Yang watched the wheels turn in Weiss' head before an answer appeared.

"Of course not."

From the haughty tone, Yang knew she had Weiss firmly on her side now. Which was good! If this was going to work, it needed to be a team effort. With Weiss' book smarts and Yang's never-ending charm, the two of them could figure out a way to keep their partners from falling in love with each other.

Of course, the first step was determining how much work needed to be done.

"Do they look like they're flirting?" Yang asked, moving her head to the side in an effort to see Blake more clearly.

"Hard to say…they're smiling a lot though."

"Smiling doesn't mean flirting," Yang replied. "At least not when Ruby's involved - sorry."

Weiss' sigh said that she was already aware of that fact, which only made it more difficult to determine who Ruby might actually like. She literally liked everyone and threw smiles around like they were going out of style.

"Weren't you supposed to get her thinking about romance?" Weiss replied, sounding just a _little_ bitter about the work she'd cut out for herself when deciding she wanted to date Ruby, of all people.

"I have been! But she's like...dead set on staying innocent."

"Why don't you go talk to her about sex again," Weiss said dryly. "That worked so well last time."

"Ha ha. You tease, but she could hardly look at you for the next week - how's that for progress, huh? Meanwhile, what've you done for me? A big fat nothing."

"Excuse me?" Weiss said, turning to Yang with an expression of disbelief. "I set you up as Blake's lab partner for the rest of the year."

"You mean you set yourself up as Ruby's lab partner _first_ ," Yang pointed out. "I happened to get Blake in return."

"Regardless, you get to work with Blake. You're welcome."

"Right, because working on lab reports is _sooo_ romantic. Come on, Weiss - step up your matchmaker game! I got Ruby to think about sleeping with you!"

"You act like that's all I want to do with her," Weiss retorted while her cheeks reddened.

"It's _one of_ the things you want to do," Yang teased, poking Weiss in the shoulder as her blush deepened.

Weiss scoffed and opened her mouth to respond, but she wasn't the one to speak next.

"Uh, guys?"

Both of them froze at Ruby's voice, and when Yang turned to the side, she found her sister and Blake looking down at them.

"What're you doing?" Blake asked, motioning to their slightly-baffling spot hidden behind a little tree.

"Oh! Hey guys!" Yang said, popping to her feet and trying to laugh off her growing embarrassment. "Didn't realize you were right here! Weiss and I tried to figure out what we wanted to do - since we were supposed to hang out and all - and we decided to check out Beacon's trees! Right, Weiss?"

When Yang elbowed Weiss in the side, Weiss gave her a glare that probably would've turned less-hot people into ice.

"Yes," Weiss replied anyway. "Beacon prides itself on its expansive horticulture. There's at least a hundred different species of trees spread across campus."

The crazy-specific answer made Yang chuckle and shake her head, attempting to diffuse the suspicion growing in Blake's gaze.

"See? Totally didn't know that."

"That sounds awesome!" Ruby replied, eating up the lie while hopping over to Weiss' side. "Do you know where the others are? Can we go find them?"

Surprise flashed through Weiss' eyes as she glanced at Blake then back to Ruby.

"We can, but I thought you and Blake were going to hang out?"

"We're done!" Ruby announced. "Not much new stuff today - already looked at everything!"

"Oh, then, of course we can. Want to start at the gardens by the pond?"

When Ruby nodded, Weiss found another one of those goofy, lovestruck smiles and gestured them out of the building. With a hop, skip, and blinding grin, Ruby held the door for Weiss before both left the student center behind - neither bothering to say goodbye or ask Yang and Blake if they wanted to come along.

"So…" Blake said, turning to Yang with a smirk. "I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder."

Way too happy to be back in Blake's presence once more, Yang had already smiled and nodded before the words fully sank in.

"Wait - what?" Shaking her head to clear the Blake-induced haze, Yang felt her confusion rise at Blake's smug smile. "Wait a second - was this entire thing a trap?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. But let me ask you something…" After looking both directions in the lobby to make sure they were alone, Blake leaned towards Yang's ear - making her blush in the process.

"How sneaky do you think you and Weiss are?"

Moving away, Blake watched in growing amusement while Yang stuttered and tried to keep her blush from spiraling to deep red territory.

"U-uh, I mean -" she stammered, frantically searching for an answer that wouldn't give everything away. "I guess - I don't know what you mean?"

"Come on, Yang." Smiling at the stutters, Blake shook her head. "I know Weiss likes Ruby - and I know you agreed to help her get a date."

Shocked, relieved, and disappointed all at once, Yang heard a rush of air leave her lungs before she managed to laugh.

"O-oh, yeah!" she said with a chuckle. "Yeah, uh, yup. Weiss likes Ruby. That's...exactly it."

"I'll help you," Blake replied with a smile. "I think they'd be really cute together."

Turning towards the doors leading outside, Blake gestured for Yang to follow - which she did with a sigh of longing while watching her partner walk ahead of her.

"Yup. So cute..." she whispered, silently cursing Weiss for being the worst matchmaker ever. Seriously, they made a deal! But now Weiss was walking around the gardens with Ruby looking at trees and flowers, while Yang and Blake spent all day together collaborating on secret plans for their teammates.

Actually...that didn't sound bad at all.


	15. Partner Bonding Day - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: Weiss helps Yang out of a bind, and Partner-Bonding Day commences.**

* * *

While Weiss prepared every weekend with an outline of assignments and studying to be completed, her teammates took a much different approach to their free time (mostly, figuring out how to do as little work as possible).

This particular weekend, however, Ruby woke far earlier than usual - jumping down from her bed just a few minutes after Weiss stepped out of the bathroom. From that moment on, a smile hardly left Ruby's lips as she buzzed around the room - getting changed, gathering a backpack, and altogether looking quite thrilled about something.

By the time the other half of their team woke up, Weiss had absorbed enough of Ruby's enthusiasm that she needed to know the cause of it. For...research purposes.

"What's got you so excited?" she asked as Blake walked to the bathroom and Yang stretched her back - causing several wince-worthy cracks.

"Today's the day!" Ruby exclaimed with a blinding grin, holding up a small flyer for Weiss to see.

"'Dagger-Con?'" Weiss asked, leaning back in her chair and feeling her brow furrow at another outing she probably wasn't included in. Not that she minded...too much...

"Yup! A whole convention of weapons! Weapon creators will be there holding workshops and stuff - I'm so excited!" With another hop, Ruby made it to Yang's side and bumped her sister's elbow. "You excited, Yang?"

From her position by Yang's side, Ruby didn't catch the deer-in-headlights expression that briefly crossed Yang's face. But, ever the chameleon, Yang threw on a smile when she turned to her sister.

"You know it!" she answered, raising a hand for Ruby to slap for a high-five.

The next second, Ruby raced into the bathroom before Blake even made it back into the room, and Yang's smile disappeared.

"Weiss." Hurrying over to the desk, Yang dropped her voice to a whisper. "I kinda need a favor."

"Don't tell me…"

"I totally forgot the convention was this weekend," Yang said, confirming Weiss' suspicion. "Blake and I took that assignment in the forest, so…"

As her words trailed off, Yang sent Weiss a pleading expression.

"Can you go with her? Please? I know you're gonna study or whatever, but she's really excited, and I don't want her to have to go alone."

Sighing in exasperation (because that was her default reaction to any of Yang's requests), Weiss turned away from imploring lilac eyes and considered her options. Surprisingly, this was an easy decision - she would love to spend the day with Ruby - but she couldn't let Yang believe that. She did have _important_ studying to be done, after all. Plus...Yang looked pretty desperate…

"I don't know…" Weiss replied with a slow shake of her head. "I have a lot of studying to do…"

"I'll make it worth your while!" Yang immediately offered, stepping right into Weiss' trap like the beautiful, blonde fool she could sometimes be. On the other side of the room, Weiss caught Blake's eyeroll - as she was much wiser to Weiss' ways than Yang was.

"How?" Weiss asked, curious as to what Yang would offer to keep Ruby happy. The two sisters had such a close relationship, Weiss imagined Yang would do almost anything to avoid letting Ruby down.

"I'll take your cleaning shifts for the rest of the year," Yang spit out, casting a wary glance towards the bathroom.

"Wow -"

" _And_ get you one of those coffee things you like every Friday!"

Weiss couldn't help it - she laughed. The first offer was already more than enough, but Yang was so frantic for a 'yes' that she went and doubled it before hearing Weiss' response.

Still, Weiss stifled her laugh and managed a sigh - just to make Yang sweat it out a little longer.

"Fine…" she finally agreed, concealing a smile when Yang let out a small 'yes' of success right before Ruby flew into the room.

"I'm ready!" Slinging her backpack around her shoulders, Ruby gave them an adorable thumbs up.

When Yang sent Weiss a quick glance, she decided that she would handle the exchange, as Yang was likely to bumble it somehow.

"You know," Weiss began, setting her pen down and shutting the textbook on top of it. "I thought we were going to have partner-bonding time this weekend…"

There were few things that paused Ruby in her tracks like partner-bonding time. One, she loved working on anything team-related. Two, she _loved_ devoting time to becoming a better partner - a trait that Weiss adored more each day.

"Oh, uh, sure, but...do you want to do something else?"

"No," Weiss quickly replied before Ruby decided to sacrifice her beloved Dagger-Con. "I don't mind going to this...convention thing…"

"Really? You wanna go?" Ruby asked, her eyes shining with renewed hope. "I - I thought you wouldn't be interested -"

"Well, you never asked," Weiss huffed, crossing her arms and turning away. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the glance Ruby sent Yang - the two sisters holding a silent conversation until Yang shrugged.

"It's cool with me. Blake and I can do bonding stuff too!"

Just like that, their 'crisis' was solved - and Weiss picked up a couple bonus perks in the process. Willingly leaving her studies behind, she grabbed her wallet and motioned for Ruby to lead the way - which she did with a trail of petals flying through the door.

As Weiss moved at a more human pace to follow, she caught Blake's gaze - the girl shaking her head but smirking at the coup Weiss had just pulled.

"See you guys later," she said, trying to hide a smug smile as she walked through the door and found Ruby waiting for her in the hall.

"Ready?" Weiss asked, her smile breaking through when Ruby raised one hand in the air and jumped.

"Youuuu bet!"

A short while later, the two of them sat in the back of a sleek, black town car heading towards their destination. Ruby had planned to take public transit with Yang, but...Weiss didn't approve of that method of transportation.

She did, however, approve of the way Ruby's excitement increased as their destination grew nearer. By this point, Ruby was practically buzzing with energy. Her knee bounced, she hummed a tune, looked out the window, fiddled with the zipper on her jacket, found an old receipt in her pocket - looked at it, then crumpled it up and stuffed it back in.

Having never been to one of these conventions or anything like it, Weiss was curious about the day to come. Ruby, however, was...'excited' seemed too mute of a word to describe her current emotional state. Thrilled? Overjoyed? Elated?

Whatever it was, Weiss loved it. Seeing Ruby happy filled her with such...peace. As if the restless energy to excel could be temporarily put on hold while she shared this moment of happiness with Ruby.

"Are you _sure_ this is what you wanna do?" Ruby asked again.

"Ruby..."

"But we can do something else for partner-bonding day! Like…uh...study?"

The fact that Ruby made the offer was very sweet, especially considering how excited she was for this event. Although...she normally went out of her way to make sure Weiss was happy - but Weiss had already scored several big wins this morning, she could afford to make this day special for Ruby.

Weiss _wanted_ to make this day special for Ruby. _More_ special than it would have been with Yang. Not that she was competitive or anything...

"I think it'll be fun," she replied with a smile to put Ruby's nerves at ease. "Besides, we're already here."

Outside Ruby's window, their destination loomed into view - Vale Convention Center. The massive building sat in the heart of downtown, serving as host to a myriad of conventions throughout the year. Today, the sidewalks crawled with people - the general flow headed towards the building rather than away.

Hearing Ruby suck in a breath, Weiss smiled.

"Are you excited?"

"They need another word for how excited I am!" Ruby proclaimed. Her vibrant energy multiplied as the car crawled towards the entrance of the building, slowed by the incredible amount of traffic and pedestrians clogging the streets.

"Why don't we get out here?" Weiss suggested when it looked like Ruby might jump out of the vehicle on her own.

"If you want...I mean, walking will probably be faster…"

With a playful eyeroll at the diplomatic answer, Weiss turned her attention to the man in the driver's seat.

"You can let us out here," she directed him.

"Yes, Miss."

The vehicle pulled to the side of the road and, as soon as it came to a full stop, Ruby jumped out. Surprisingly, she still had enough wits about her to turn around and offer her hand to help Weiss out of the car behind her.

"So chivalrous," Weiss teased as the towncar pulled away, leaving them amongst the crowd of people walking to the convention center.

"Anything for you, milady!" Ruby joked in return, somehow making Weiss blush without even trying. "And I'm pretty sure we go this way."

Pointing in the right direction, Ruby grinned and took Weiss' hand as they walked with the crowd. On an ordinary day, Weiss would prefer to walk slower and out of the way, but...Ruby was excited. And when Ruby was excited, her steps grew long and swift, forcing Weiss to speed walk to keep pace.

"You have our tickets or...whatever we need, right?"

"Uh...yup!"

The delayed response drew Weiss' immediate attention.

"Ruby..."

"Ok!" Ruby fessed up. "They sold out too fast, so I don't actually _have_ tickets."

For a moment, shock took ahold of Weiss' mind - flabbergasted that Ruby was so excited for the day when she didn't even have the most basic means of entry secured.

"Then how are we supposed to get in?"

"Easy! We'll just buy some from the scalpers!"

"Scalpers?"

"Yeah! The people who sell tickets out front. Look, there's one right there!"

Weiss didn't know what she expected when she searched out this 'scalper,' but it turned out to be a regular gentleman waving several pieces of plastic through the air while shouting "Badges!" at anyone who passed.

"What an unfortunate nickname," Weiss muttered while leading Ruby over.

"Excuse me, sir," she called out, capturing the man's attention. "We need two tickets -"

"Got two right here -" he interrupted, holding them out to her. "Fifty Lien."

"Ok -"

"Each."

Briefly confused as to whether that number was supposed to be intimidating in some way, Weiss simply pulled a crisp hundred Lien bill from her wallet and handed it over. WIthout a word, the man took the money and gave her the two slips in his hand while turning away.

"Badges!" he yelled again, making her flinch in surprise.

"I'll pay you back!" Ruby said, dragging Weiss away before she complained about his lack of manners. "I totally planned on making Yang pay…"

"Don't worry about it. It's my treat."

The response was rewarded with a smile that made Weiss more and more willing to pay for _anything_ Ruby wanted. It was hard having such a cute partner sometimes...especially a cute partner who somehow knew exactly how to make her agree with things...

"I've waited my _entire life_ for this!" Ruby squealed, clutching onto Weiss' arm as they walked across a giant lobby covered in advertisements and blown-up pictures of weapons.

"Really?" Weiss asked, lifting a brow as the first of likely many hyperboles appeared. "Your _entire_ life?"

"You know what I mean!" Ruby protested, making Weiss laugh as they approached a line that led into the exhibit hall. Standing by each entrance was an employee checking passes on the way through - and what Weiss meant by 'checking passes' was nothing more than a quick glimpse before waving people through the doors.

"Pretty sure you could've created these," Weiss muttered while the line moved towards the entrance. Looking at the badge in her hands, she didn't find anything overly difficult to copy - especially considering the lax security measures.

"Next time!" Hopping the last step, Ruby waved her pass to the man standing by the door. When she earned her obligatory nod and wave, she turned and waited for Weiss to do the same before they walked inside together.

Beyond the doors was the exhibit hall, and it was...something else. And it was fair to say that this was where Weiss and Ruby's experiences diverged because to Weiss, it was loud, crowded, somewhat chaotic, and overstimulating.

To Ruby…

"Holyyyyyy cow…" Ruby gasped, her eyes wide as she took in the sights. "This is like...if heaven and Beacon's workshop had a baby."

Even though Weiss laughed at the analogy, she found it quite appropriate. Rows and rows of vendors filled the giant space, selling everything from scraps of metal to completed weapons. For someone with Ruby's likes and hobbies, this _was_ a version of heaven.

"Well, let's get going," she said, encouraging Ruby forward with a nod. That was all the permission Ruby needed to rush towards the first booth - which looked like a weapons company specializing in different types of crossbows.

"Weiss, look at this!" Ruby exclaimed, picking up literally the first item she got her hands on.

It must be important based on Ruby's reaction, but all Weiss saw was an ordinary piece of paper with lines drawn all over it.

"What is it?" she asked, leaning closer to get a better look at the mess of lines.

"Blueprints to build your own crossbow!" Lowering the paper, Ruby turned a set of pleading eyes on Weiss. "I wanna build a crossbow!"

There were two appropriate reactions to that statement - the mature, adult thing to do was distract Ruby from the potentially-dangerous quest. But with those eyes…

"I'll get it for you."

"Aww Weiss, you don't have to do that…"

"I insist." Waving towards the attendant nearby, Weiss paid for the blueprints before understanding what this day was turning into. While Ruby held onto her newest treasure, Weiss pulled out her scroll and typed a message.

"You're the best, Weiss! But whatcha doing?"

"Sending a message to our driver - telling him to come back."

"Oh. Uh, are you not having fun?"

Ruby's deflated energy sent a momentary spike of guilt through Weiss, so she quickly put away her scroll and took Ruby's free hand.

"No, I'm having him come back to carry all the items we'll be buying today."

Weiss' smile grew as she watched realization dawn in Ruby's eyes. Suddenly, her very-excited partner was hopping up and down again, clutching both of Weiss' hands and spinning her in a circle.

"Do you mean what I think you mean?"

Laughing at the response, Weiss waited until Ruby settled into one place before nodding.

"Yes. Partner-shopping day."


	16. Stolen Glances - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee  
** **Summary:** **Blake has kept her feelings for Yang to herself, until the perfect 'moment' reveals itself.**

* * *

"Nice night, huh?"

Looking up at the evening sky, where the remaining rays of the sun provided just enough light to walk by, Blake let out a content sigh.

"It is. I love this weather."

"Me too. Perfect weather, perfect company!"

As they headed towards their dorm room - crossing one of Beacon's sprawling lawns in the process - Blake stole a glance to her right, then blushed when she realized what she just did. Stealing glances was relatively new to her, but she'd quickly pinpointed where the desire came from.

Yang was beautiful, funny, honest, loyal, and sweet as could be. By now, most of Beacon understood just how kind she was, which made her well-desired by most of their class. Everyone cast glances her way when she walked by. Everyone wanted to be her friend. Everyone wanted her attention. Everyone wanted her time.

Which meant...Blake was just one of the crowd. Just one of many. Her only privilege was being Yang's partner. So, while the more attention-seeking admirers tripped over themselves for Yang's company, Blake had a built-in excuse for them to spend time together.

By now, she thought she'd be more assured in their relationship - yet she stole glances whenever she could, hoping to spot something in Yang's expression that suggested...anything more. Tonight, however, she had a legitimate reason to look at Yang more often than normal - the slight limp in the girl's gait.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Blake asked, her worry growing the longer the injury lingered. "Maybe we should've gone to the clinic -"

"Naw - it's no big deal. I've survived worse!"

The words were meant to put Blake at ease, but it was the smile that succeeded. Bright and genuine, Yang's smile could turn Blake's day around in an instant.

"I'm still sorry..." Blake started to say, but Yang waved off the apology.

"Don't be! It was a really awesome move! I had _no_ idea to expect that hit from behind." Grinning, Yang leaned over to nudge Blake's shoulder as they approached the buildings on the far side of the expanse of green space. "Better watch out though - I'll know to look out for that next time!"

Chuckling at the response and shaking her head, Blake felt some of her worry fade away.

Sparring with Yang was always quite the experience - mostly because she approached every practice with a fire and intensity only those who've fought against her would understand. Blake quickly learned she needed to be exceptionally crafty to survive such battles, which meant she sometimes resorted to unconventional and slightly-damaging tactics. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her partner, but...Yang always looked so happy when Blake did her best.

"Plans for the weekend?"

Their dorm building loomed in the distance, likely jogging Yang's mind back to the end of the school week.

"Not really. We have that project to work on -"

"Oh, that's right! We'll work on that together, right?"

For some reason, Yang always asked - even though Blake's answer was always 'yes.'

"If you want to..." she replied, sparing another glance at Yang to see how she took the response.

And, as usual, Yang had that little smile on her lips - like she was secretly pleased with something. It was that smile that made Blake's heart flip in her chest while a wave of something she could only describe as affection surged through her.

That little smile was the reason for all of Blake's glances - that smile was the reward for the countless times a day she snuck a look her partner's way. Because, in moments like these, she felt special. She felt like she wasn't just 'one of' the many people after Yang's heart. She felt like...maybe Yang saw her differently than everyone else.

Even though Blake was forced to look away - or be caught staring - the feeling lingered in her for a little while longer. A warm glow that would carry her through the night, until she set out in search of it again tomorrow.

"Hey guys -"

Both of them turned towards the smooth voice and spotted Coco and Velvet walking towards them - likely headed to the practice room Blake and Yang just left behind.

"Hey!" Yang called out with her trademark smile, altering her course to meet up with the two. "Getting some work in?"

"Trying to," Velvet answered with a quick look up at Coco. "We'll see how it works out."

Coco responded with a grin before tapping Yang on the shoulder.

"We're thinking about going into Vale tomorrow night. You in?"

"Oh, uh -" This time, Yang glanced at Blake, who did her best to keep her expression impassive at the sudden invitation. "Actually, already have plans," Yang answered with another smile. "Thanks for the invite though!"

"No problem. You're always welcome to join -"

"Both of you," Velvet added, smiling at Blake while finishing Coco's sentence.

"Yeah, of course." Glancing at Velvet, Coco smiled - or smirked, it was a little difficult to tell.

"What happened to your leg?" she asked, gesturing to the leg Yang leaned her weight away from. "People can see you limping across the quad."

Whereas most students would disagree with any suggestion of personal weakness, Yang laughed and wrapped an arm around Blake's shoulders - making her blush when she was suddenly pulled into Yang's warm side.

"Gotta thank Blake for that. You should've seen the hit she landed on me. I was seeing stars for like five minutes."

The image made both Coco and Velvet chuckle - and Coco reached out to give Blake a high-five.

"I'd pay to see that," she said, smiling at Blake over her glasses.

"I'm pretty sure a lot of people would," Velvet added while she took a single step away. "Maybe you should let us know the next time you practice."

The soft joke was enough to make Coco laugh as she took her teammate's cue and began to walk away.

"Definitely. Good way to make some extra cash."

With waves, the pair turned and set off for the practice rooms, leaving Yang to chuckle to herself in their wake.

"I hope we at least get a cut of that," she joked, sending a bright smile Blake's way before they continued their journey back to the room. For several seconds, they walked in comfortable silence - Yang humming a soft tune while Blake replayed the most recent interaction over and over again.

"You know...you didn't have to do that," she finally said, sneaking another peek at Yang and reading confusion in response.

"Do what?"

Even though the conversation had been short, two distinct things stuck out in Blake's mind.

The first was that - regardless of Yang's popularity and superior fighting talent - she always went out of her way to compliment Blake to others. If Blake messed up nine moves out of ten, Yang would take the tenth and brag about it to anyone who'd listen. Her words weren't empty either - she believed what she said, because she believed in Blake's ability.

Yang believed in her.

How could she adequately explain what that felt like? How could she explain how empowering it was that she was not only treasured as a partner, but...respected? And Yang didn't just respect her as a huntress - Yang respected her as a _person_ with opinions and value to offer. Blake refused to think of herself as an empty piece - a trophy to stand beside the hero - and Yang didn't treat her as such. Yang treated her like an equal.

Yet that was just one part of that conversation that stuck out to her.

"You can go out with them, if you want," she said, again noticing how willing Yang was to turn down invitations when they had tentative, less-exciting plans made with one another.

"But I made plans with you!"

"I'm pretty sure it won't take us all weekend to finish that project..."

"You never know! Better safe than sorry, right?"

When Yang smiled at Blake, Blake could swear that the smile was different. But was it just her imagination? Was it just her wishful thinking? Was it just the side effect of the hours upon hours she spent daydreaming about her partner?

Or was it that Yang genuinely enjoyed spending time together?

"Thank you."

The words slipped out before Blake thought them through - the result of a cascade of gratitude that she'd probably never have the courage to fully express.

Yang _deserved_ the gratitude, but Blake was unaccustomed to and unprepared for giving it - which is why the words froze her to the step right outside the door to their dorm building.

Coming to a stop in front of Blake, Yang looked confused for a split second but quickly erased the expression with a light laugh.

"Thanks for what?"

"For...being you."

That was the simplest answer Blake could come up with on such short notice, and it also appropriately summed up her feelings. She wished she could explain how she really felt - how much she loved being partners, how much she wanted to be the best partner Yang could possibly hope for, how much she wanted to be _everything_ Yang needed - but...a simple 'thank you' would have to do, for now.

Again, Yang chuckled, but this time while running a hand through her long, blonde hair. When her eyes met Blake's, Blake felt a spike of emotions run through her - a rush of feelings from the way Yang briefly held her gaze.

After breaking eye contact for a split second, Yang leaned forward, one arm reaching towards Blake's waist.

Everything happened so fast - but Blake seized the moment, knowing she might never see another one if she didn't take this chance. So, as Yang leaned into her, she didn't shy away - she moved forward and met Yang's lips in a kiss.

When Yang froze in surprise, Blake immediately recognized her mistake and broke away - allowing Yang to pull open the door behind her and hold it for several students to walk outside.

The pair of second years walked out, sending quick glances Blake's way before heading towards the practice rooms. Meanwhile, Blake stared at the ground, her cheeks burning with a flush while she scolded herself for losing track of her emotions. It just _seemed_ like the moment. Of course, she should've known Yang was just being polite and getting the door for the students she'd seen through the glass. Or she should've assumed _anything_ but that Yang was trying to kiss her.

After what felt like an eternity, Yang cleared her throat, but Blake couldn't bear meet her partner's eyes. That was just about the worst move she could've made in that situation. Kiss her partner on the step of the dorm building? Seriously? What was she thinking?

That was a mistake. But she could save this, somehow. Play it off as a joke, or an accident, or...something that wasn't what it was - which were her true feelings escaping at the worst possible time.

When Yang cleared her throat again and shuffled her feet, Blake quickly decided on her plan of action - a joke. Yang appreciated jokes and refused to admit when she didn't understand them. So it was a joke. Just a joke.

With the excuse on the tip of her tongue, Blake tore her eyes from the ground and back to Yang.

"Yang -"

That was all she got out before Yang leaned forward and kissed her - this time without the shock of before. It was Blake who stiffened, but the surprise lasted only a second before a wave of feelings spurred her into motion. Yang's soft lips on hers, Yang's warm hand resting lightly on her hip - closing her eyes and letting the feelings wash over her, she reached up and ran her hand through Yang's hair - something she'd wanted to do for quite some time.

A few seconds later, they broke apart - and, again, Blake had no idea what to do. She looked at the ground, then snuck a glance at Yang, then turned back to the ground. Only when Yang cleared her throat again did Blake dare look up - finding Yang smiling through her rampant blush.

"Uh...so…"

Trailing off, Yang shook her head but refused to stop smiling - one of those smiles that made Blake feel special. But this time, unlike the others, it wasn't caught through stolen glances; it was aimed right at her. She was meant to see this. Yang wanted her to see...that she was special.

"So…" she said, feeling an inescapable swell of happiness bubbling up in her chest while waiting for whatever Yang would say next.

"I've wanted to do that forever," Yang finally blurted out. And, this time, it was the words _and_ the smile that eased Blake's worry.

"Me too," she replied, feeling a smile of her own grow when Yang looked pleasantly surprised by the admission.

"Really? That's - uh, wow - then m-maybe this weekend we could...go out to dinner or something? Like, just the two of us?"

Somehow, Blake managed a playful smirk before opening the door and walking inside - giving her cheeks time to lose their blush while Yang hobbled after her.

"Depends -" she teased. "Don't you have plans?"

"I do. But I was told they won't take long, so I can spend the rest of the weekend with you."

Out of habit, Blake stole another glance to her right - but this time Yang caught her gaze and smiled, sending her heart into a flurry of cartwheels.

"I'd love to."


	17. Perfect - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: With a big test on the horizon, Weiss plans to study all night. Ruby plans otherwise.**

* * *

Setting her pen down with a sigh, Weiss sat back in her chair and rubbed her tired eyes.

There was so much material to learn and not enough time. But that was the purpose of the most prestigious huntsmen academies, wasn't it? Inundate exhausted students with as much information as possible - watch the leaders emerge while the less fortunate fell behind.

While she wasn't concerned about falling behind, she was a _little_ concerned about maintaining her position at the top of the class. No one was close to surpassing her test scores at the moment, but...well, failure grew out of complacency. And she was anything but a failure.

A couple minutes later, her miniscule break ended and she went back to work - burying her nose in her textbook and taking meticulous notes at the same time. Their upcoming exam would source questions from fifteen chapters worth of very specific herbology topics, so she needed to memorize as many details as possible over the next few days. Shouldn't be too difficult if she put her mind to it and cut out all unnecessary distractions.

Hearing the dorm room door open, she glanced towards the sound while Yang and Blake walked in.

"You're _so_ wrong," Yang said, dropping her gauntlets on the floor just inside the door. "No way that would work!"

"You'd be surprised."

As usual, Blake wore an amused smirk at whatever topic they were talking about. But she was almost always amused when talking to Yang - something about the blonde pulled easy smiles out of the normally-stoic Faunus.

With a huff of disbelief, Yang turned to Weiss and smiled.

"Hey Weiss, missed you at dinner!"

"Are you still studying?" Blake added, walking over to the desk and looking at Weiss' work.

"Of course. There's a lot of material to -"

"Weiss!"

A breeze blew through the room as Ruby suddenly appeared - and promptly tripped over Ember Celica.

"Woah!" she cried out as she stumbled forward, nearly falling on her face in the process. Fortunately, she caught herself by crashing into the side of Weiss' desk - knocking everything else asunder in the process.

"Sorry!" Dropping the plate that was in her hands onto the desk, Ruby dove across the books and notebooks to grab Weiss' pen before it rolled away.

It was such a normal entrance that Weiss hardly flinched. Ruby always arrived in a hurry, left in a hurry, and caused near-catastrophes at any point in between. Luckily for them, the number of successful catastrophes had dropped since the beginning of the year.

"It's ok," Weiss replied, accepting her pen from Ruby and taking that as a signal to get back to work.

"I brought you food!"

When Ruby pushed the plate forward, Weiss found it held all of the most-easily stolen items from the cafeteria - two dinner rolls, a granola bar, and five cookies. A nutritious meal, by Ruby's standards.

Fortunately, Weiss had learned that gratitude was an endeavor worth pursuing with her teammates, and the easiest way to show gratitude was to accept their gestures of kindness - especially when they were as thoughtful and caring as Ruby's was. So, even though eating fell under the 'mostly unnecessary when there was studying to be done' category, she reached out and took the granola bar off the plate.

"Thank you, Ruby."

Pleased with the success of her thoughtfulness, Ruby grinned and raced over to her bed. Blake and Yang also busied themselves going about their end of night routines - reading a book or magazine, playing a game on their scrolls, or otherwise decompressing after another long day.

Weiss, meanwhile, unwrapped the granola bar and went back to studying. It wasn't until she took her first bite that she realized how hungry she was - it was easy to forget food when there was so much to learn.

"Are you going to study all night?"

Sighing at yet another interruption, Weiss turned around and found concerned silver eyes watching her.

"I'm going to study until I know all of it."

For a split second, it looked like Ruby wanted to argue with the answer, but then smiled, nodded, and jumped onto her bed.

Taking that response as Ruby finally leaving her be, Weiss sighed again, turned around, and went back to work.

For the most part, her teammates understood that she was slightly obsessive about studying - what they didn't understand was why. And she wouldn't expect them to understand, as they hadn't grown up with her family. They didn't know how much pressure was placed upon her to be perfect, which meant she needed to study harder and longer than anyone else at Beacon. She'd already accepted that she wasn't the most physically-gifted fighter at Beacon - but she was the smartest. She _had_ to be the smartest.

Her teammates didn't understand but, as long as they gave her space and time to study, that was ok.

Initially, it was infuriating to watch them slack off and shirk studies. Over time, she acknowledged their different priorities. Yang got decent grades with decent studying, but her real effort went into her training and fighting. Blake cared about certain subjects more than others, but her energy was spent trying to address inequality. Ruby was so far behind that it wasn't even fair to expect her to excel in the classroom. She still tried - and Weiss admired that - but her focus was much like Yang: excel on the battlefield.

These days, it was less frustrating and more just...a fact of life with four very different personalities grouped together.

By the time the lights turned off and sounds of life gave way to sounds of sleep, Weiss was only halfway done. If she wanted a complete set of notes to review tomorrow, she needed several more hours of dedicated work - which meant she quickly decided she wouldn't sleep tonight. It was easier to make that decision up front - otherwise, her body would hope for rest that would never come.

Hours later, when her back hurt from the chair and her hand hurt from holding her pen too tight, her stomach grumbled. The sound was absurdly loud in the quiet room but, thankfully, didn't disturb her teammates' peaceful slumbers. Still...a grumbling stomach was an additional distraction she didn't need.

Glancing towards the plate of food and deciding that _one_ cookie wouldn't be so bad, Weiss was already reaching for it when she heard someone drop to the ground behind her. From the weight of the sound, she already knew who it was, and turned around to find Ruby sneaking over.

"Can't sleep?" Weiss asked.

"No...can you come with me?"

When Ruby grabbed Weiss by the hand and tugged, she leaned back in her chair to resist the motion.

"What? But Ruby -" Weiss gestured towards her work as an explanation, but Ruby tugged again, more firmly this time.

"It won't take long, promise!"

Understanding that Ruby wasn't going to leave her alone unless she relented, Weiss sighed and let Ruby pull her out of the room. Realistically, a short walk wouldn't be a bad thing. Increased circulation would wake up her brain and help her absorb more information when they got back.

At first, she thought they'd walk down the hall and back - or down to the common area and back - but when Ruby pushed open the door to the dorm building and led them outside, Weiss finally had to ask -

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

Irritation prickled Weiss' skin as Ruby led them further and further away from the room. The further they walked, the longer it would take to get back, and the longer it would be before Weiss got back to studying.

"It's nice out, right?" Ruby asked, swinging her free hand as they went, oblivious to Weiss' mounting annoyance with the situation.

The weather was nice though. The air was warm, but not too warm, and the full moon hung in the night sky above them - lighting the way. On many other nights, Weiss wouldn't mind going for a walk with Ruby, but _not_ on nights when she had studying to do - and Ruby _knew_ this.

"Here we are!"

Rushing down a set of steps, Ruby gripped Weiss' hand a little tighter and led them to the edge of Beacon's pool. The large pool was used for a variety of purposes by Beacon's students - for fun, for exercise, and for the ill-advised underwater battles the upperclassmen liked to have.

At night, the pool was lit by soft-yellow lights placed around the perimeter and along the bottom of the basin. While the deck around the pool was mostly dark, the glowing blue water sparkled like a giant nightlight.

"Great," Weiss said when Ruby released her hand. "Now we can go back."

"Not yet!"

Huffing in annoyance, Weiss crossed her arms and gave Ruby a stern look - a look Ruby no longer shrank away from.

"Why not?"

For some reason, the question made Ruby smile - and then she gestured to the water.

"Jump in."

"What?" Looking at the pool, Weiss scoffed and shook her head. "Ruby, it's the middle of the night -"

"l don't care! Jump in."

"Why on earth would I do that?"

Ruby thought about the question for a second - her silver eyes reflecting the light of the pool - before she nodded once.

"Because I'm team captain."

"Oh, you're going to play that card?" Weiss retorted, her defiance rising at Ruby's audacity to drag her away from her studies for _this_. "How about this? No."

Re-setting her arms firmly across her chest, Weiss glared while Ruby nodded - as if she'd expected the answer.

"Then you leave me no choice."

Before the words sank into Weiss' mind, two strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled. She yelped in surprise - and then she hit the cold water with a splash.

For a second she was so shocked, she didn't even move. She just stared at her new environment - surrounded by water while chlorine stung her eyes - before finally kicking her feet and propelling herself upward.

"Ruby!" she screeched the moment she broke through the surface, wiping water from her eyes. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

Finding Ruby treading water beside her, Weiss splashed some water that way - twice as annoyed as she'd previously been.

Of course, Ruby just laughed and splashed right back.

"To get you outta your crazy state!"

" _You're_ the crazy one here!"

Fed up with her partner, Weiss started swimming towards the edge of the pool, but Ruby quickly swam in front of her to block the exit.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted, even more agitated now. "It's freezing in here!"

"Really? Is it?"

When Ruby asked the question, Weiss realized that she wasn't _that_ cold now that she was moving around and angry. But that was beside the point.

"I have more important things to do -"

"Yeah, so did I!" Ruby interrupted, moving to block Weiss' escape yet again. "Like sleeping! But I can't sleep when I'm worried about you!"

Making a noise in frustration, Weiss spun around and tried to make it to the shallow end of the pool instead. Seeing as how Ruby was the faster swimmer, she quickly raced in front of Weiss and cut off her exit a third time - both of them now in shallow enough water that they could stand.

"What do you want?" Weiss finally yelled, figuring it was better to ask so she could get this over with.

"I want you to take care of yourself!"

"I am -"

" _NOT_ ," Ruby interrupted, shocking Weiss into silence with her gall. "You skipped every meal yesterday to study, and you didn't sleep last night either!"

"This test is important -"

"Well you'll miss it if you end up in the hospital!" Ruby broke in. "Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

" _Because I have to!_ "

Weiss hadn't meant to shout the words, but now they hung in the air, filling the silence broken only by the soft noise of water moving along the edges of the pool.

She hadn't meant to get so heated and angry - not with Ruby. Ruby was only trying to help, in her own weird way.

Turning away and sighing, Weiss lifted her hands from the pool then dropped them back in.

"Because my father expects that of me," she explained, feeling a bit of normalcy return when a soft breeze caused goosebumps to rise along her arms. "Because _everyone_ expects that of me. If I don't get the best grades, then I'm just a..."

Trailing off, she raised one hand and tried to think of the word - watching droplets of water fall from her fingertips.

"Someone who's still smarter than everyone else?" Ruby offered, taking a step closer in the pool.

"A failure."

Dropping her hand, Weiss let it hit the surface of the water with an audible _smack_.

It was as simple as that. If she got the best grades, she was successful. If she didn't, she failed. There was no in between.

"But Weiss…" Ruby whispered, hopping forward until they were right in front of each other. "It's ok to fail..."

"Not in my family."

"Well then I've got bad news for your family," Ruby replied with a grin. "Because you fail _all_ the time."

Taken aback by the response, Weiss hadn't decided yet whether she was offended or just curious before Ruby continued.

"You messed up that partner move we tried yesterday, remember?" Ruby explained, reaching out and grabbing one of Weiss' hands under the surface of the water. "I messed it up too! We failed like...a hundred times in a row! And then, remember how you rolled up that piece of paper and tried to throw it across the room into the trash? And you missed? Man, that was a failure too -"

"Ruby…"

"Wait," Ruby said, squeezing Weiss' hand. "Don't forget just a few minutes ago - you totally failed to figure out what I was going to do and ended up getting tossed into the pool."

"I get it," Weiss replied, shaking her head at the list that made her more and more uncomfortable as it grew.

"Do you?"

Meeting Ruby's earnest eyes, Weiss shook her head one more time, trying to dislodge the perfectionism that had dogged her for her entire life. She was expected to be perfect - she expected herself to be perfect.

"We learn through failures!" Ruby added. "If we don't fail, we don't get better. We totally nailed down that new move after a hundred failures. And you got the paper into the trashcan on the second shot, and I bet you're not standing anywhere I can grab you the next time we're near a pool!"

Scoffing at the list, Weiss looked down at their hands - her view of them shifting as the surface of the water moved.

Trying to be perfect was such a hard way to live...and sometimes, she really hated it. She hated that she had nightmares about seeing red marks on her assignments. She hated that she dwelled on small failures to the point of obsession.

Maybe Ruby was right. Maybe it was time to try a different approach - seeing failure not as an end result, but as a way to grow.

"You bet I'm not," she finally replied, feeling a smile appear when Ruby beamed. "And I guess you _might_ be right...I don't need to work myself to exhaustion simply to avoid a learning opportunity."

"Exactly!"

Raising one hand out of the water, Ruby cringed when she accidentally splashed Weiss in the process. While Weiss wiped the water from her face, Ruby thought of an idea - evident in her suddenly-glowing grin.

"Time for a partner hug!" she called out. "Hold your breath!"

Before Weiss digested that instruction, Ruby tackled her into the water for a hug - both of them falling under the surface and doing a quick Ruby-induced roll before popping back to their feet.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted again, wiping water from her eyes and pushing her hair back into place.

"Looks like you _failed_ to see that coming!" Ruby chirped, laughing when Weiss splashed water at her.

This time, Weiss rolled her eyes at the good-natured tease.

"Would you like me to point out your own failures, Ruby Rose?" she asked, smiling as an idea for revenge appeared in her mind.

"Sure! I'm all ears!"

Taking two steps back, Weiss smirked while spooling her semblance and locating the perfect placement for two glyphs on opposite sides of Ruby.

"You forgot my semblance."

This time, it was Ruby who didn't have time to process the words before two giant waves of water were shoved towards her from two directions - crashing together over her head before sending rocky waves through the rest of the pool.

Laughing at the drenched girl standing in front of her, Weiss felt abundantly lighter - like a giant weight had just lifted from her shoulders.

"Ok," Ruby said, wiping water out of her eyes - grinning all the while. "Not gonna lie - that was pretty cool."

"Does that mean you want to see it again?" Weiss teased as they finally walked towards the side of the pool.

"I'm good for now!"

Weiss smiled while accepting Ruby's help out of the pool and back to the deck - both of them dripping water from their soaked clothes.

"Thank you, Ruby," she whispered as they trudged towards the dorm room, savoring the feeling of freedom she'd just been granted. It might only be temporary, but she knew that if she ever went down that myopic path again...well, she might find herself thrown into another pool - and that wasn't a bad thing.

She was lucky to have a partner who cared about her like Ruby did - someone willing to stand up and point out when Weiss tunneled in on an objective to the detriment of her health. She was lucky to have someone willing to throw her into a pool so that she would go to sleep and eat regularly. She was just...lucky. Because, even though Ruby might be far from perfect, she was perfect for Weiss.


	18. Let's (finally) Make a Match

**Pairing: Freezerbros (also some White Rose and Bumblebee)  
** **Summary: Let the master plan commence! Weiss and Yang try to finally make something happen with their respective crushes.**

* * *

"We should go over it one more time."

Turning away from the mirror (rolling her eyes in the process), Weiss set down her hairbrush and gave Yang a look of utmost patience.

"We've gone over this _at least_ a hundred times already."

"Yeah, but - you know - better safe than sorry!"

"You realize I got a perfect score on every entrance exam Beacon has?" Weiss pointed out, crossing her legs and watching Yang's knee bounce with nerves. "Memorizing three steps for this 'master plan' of yours is nothing."

"Yeah, well, you tend to _forget_ things," Yang replied. "How was your little date with Ruby, by the way? Did you get to first base, or what?"

Blushing at the memory, Weiss averted her gaze and picked an invisible piece of lint off her skirt.

"l don't know what you're talking about..."

"You know, that day you ditched me to go flower shopping with Ruby."

With a full blush taking residence on her cheeks, Weiss huffed and ran a hand through her ponytail.

"We weren't flower shopping. We were looking at the different species of plants on campus."

And it was a wonderful day. Just her and Ruby perusing Beacon's expansive grounds in search of new plants. It wasn't often they had an entire day to themselves - free of responsibilities - and even less often they could spend every moment intent upon each other.

Ruby's childlike energy was infectious. She marveled at the smallest things - things Weiss wrote off as mundane were a spectacle through Ruby's eyes. It was impossible to be in Ruby's company and _not_ have a great time, which was why Weiss' cheeks hurt from smiling by the end of the day.

Admittedly, Weiss hadn't known _all_ the species of plants they found, so she made up a few names. But hopefully Ruby wouldn't double check or remember...

"Cut it out."

When a light slap hit her knee, Weiss broke out of her thoughts and blushed deeper.

"What?" she asked, hearing a snap in her tone that always appeared when she was caught off guard.

"You're doing that thing again - the Ruby-daze."

"The Ruby…? That's not a thing."

Laughing at the response, Yang shook her head and waved both hands through the air - effectively wiping that conversation away.

"I forgot - you're delusional. But come on, they'll be back soon - let's go over the plan _one_ more time."

Giving up on the argument with a sigh, Weiss tapped a finger on her thigh while thinking about their 'plan.' She wouldn't call it much of a plan - it was more of a setup - but Yang was absurdly proud of it. She was convinced that it would get her and Blake together while _also_ pushing Weiss and Ruby closer to a relationship.

Weiss had serious doubts, but she'd promised to help Yang in her quest for Blake's heart, so...

"Ok. They get back from training, I bring up the tickets to the AchieveMen concert I _happened_ to have forgetten about - even though I don't forget things." Picking up the pair of tickets from the table, Weiss held them up for Yang to see. "I invite Ruby -"

"In that Weiss-way you have," Yang cut in, grinning at Weiss' scowl.

The grin meant that Weiss shouldn't ask for an elaboration. She didn't want to know. Whatever it was, it would only make her react in a way that proved that Yang knew her pretty well. And she rebelled against the idea that anyone knew her _that_ well.

"What do you mean 'Weiss-way?'" she asked anyway, because she had to know.

"You know - where you pretend you're bored so everyone knows you _don't_ want to do whatever we're supposed to do."

"I don't do that."

"Uh, yeah you do."

"It's not true, but whatever you think..." Lazily waving the concert tickets through the air, Weiss heaved a big sigh before continuing with 'the plan.'

"That's it!" Yang added with a grin, looking far-too-pleased that she'd been proven correct. Weiss, meanwhile, frowned but decided she'd move on lest she prove Yang even more right.

" _Anyway_...I'll offer Ruby the tickets but say that I know it's not something she'll want to do. She'll shrug and say, 'Eh, not really...' in that way she has, but she'll still go if I want to go."

Weiss smiled at the last part - which was a fact of Ruby's existence. Even if Ruby didn't want to do something, she'd go along with it if that's what Weiss wanted. It was a very sweet and kind personality trait, which was everything she'd come to expect from Ruby.

"Then I snatch the tickets," Yang cut in, grabbing the tickets from Weiss' hand before giving her a fake look of apology. "Oh sorry - did I interrupt your pining?"

Rolling her eyes, Weiss waved her hand towards Yang.

"You take the tickets and say that you'll go with Blake - then you..."

"Then I tell Ruby I rented the new Zombie Slayers movie!" Yang added with a grin. "No way she passes that up. So you and Ruby cuddle up for some zombie fun while Blake and I rock out to some awesome tunes."

When Yang grinned at the tickets in her hand, Weiss felt her brow furrow.

"You know, I _am_ a little curious why this plan involved me buying tickets to your favorite band..."

"It's the first thing that came to mind!" Yang explained while handing the tickets back to Weiss. "They weren't too expensive, were they?"

Sensing a layer of genuine concern underneath Yang's jovial demeanor, Weiss sat back in her seat and scoffed - fully prepared to put Yang's worries to rest.

"Please. They were practically free."

"Right...they usually give away backstage passes," Yang said, waving her hand as if it wasn't a big deal before giving Weiss another honest smile. "Thank you, though."

"Of course. I said I'd help you, and you've held up your end of the deal so far."

"Damn straight I have!" Slapping both hands on her knees, Yang beamed at her 'success.' "I've totally been talking to Ruby about sex and stuff nonstop - pretty sure she thinks there's something wrong with me now."

" _And_ you've been spending more time alone with Blake recently," Weiss pointed out, cursing her cheeks for heating up at Yang's silly comment.

"Right! We have - although…" Yang's eyes briefly unfocused, but she quickly snapped out of it. "You're right! It's been great. Doesn't matter what we talk about - I love spending time with her."

The grin Yang wore at the moment had become a more frequent occurrence around their dorm room. It was the Blake-grin, as Weiss thought of it - the smile that only appeared when Yang thought about Blake.

The moment the door opened, that grin turned into the Blake-beam - the huge smile that Yang nearly blinded everyone with whenever Blake walked into a room.

"I still think that'd be awesome!" Ruby chirped as she rushed inside, dropping Crescent Rose on the ground and spinning in a quick circle that sprayed rose petals everywhere. Following at a more normal pace, Blake closed the door before leaning Gambol Shroud against the wall.

"You think everything involving my clones is awesome..."

"Because it is! They are!"

When Ruby beamed - a full dose of Ruby Sunshine - Blake smiled and shook her head.

Blake and Ruby were a strange combination - one of them unwilling to accept compliments, the other willing to spray them as far and wide as her petals. The further into the school year they progressed, however, the more tolerant of the compliments Blake grew. One of these days, she might just accept some of Ruby's admiration.

Today, however, she brushed it off as she went to sit on her bed next to Yang. Meanwhile, Weiss turned back to the stack of school supplies sitting on her bed, flipped open a folder, and let out a big sigh - one that would draw the room's attention her way.

"Great..." she muttered while removing the two concert tickets (which were hidden in her hand the entire time). "l forgot about these..."

As expected, Ruby immediately hopped over to see what Weiss was talking about.

"What are they?"

"These concert tickets my father sent me," Weiss said, waving them through the air and fighting a smile when Ruby's eyes followed their path. "They're for this evening…"

"l know concerts aren't your thing," she added before Ruby responded. "Not really mine, either - they're always so loud...but would you want to go?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Weiss caught Yang's grin as she leaned forward - prepared to snatch the tickets away - but Ruby got there first.

"I'd love to!"

For a second, the room froze while the remnants of a 'master plan' crumbled to dust.

"You...would?" Weiss asked, shooting a glance at Yang - who was currently suffering from the same amount of shock that she was.

"Yeah, I'd love to!" Ruby repeated, shooting a glance Blake's way before beaming at Weiss. "I mean, I just wanna spend time with you...I don't really care what we do."

Something about the way Ruby said the words was different from before. Her voice was a little lower and softer - almost a whisper meant to stay between the two of them. Her eyes still sparkled, but in a way that was more serious than her normal cheer.

The unexpected change was enough to send a flurry of butterflies through Weiss' chest.

"Really?" she asked, immediately clearing her throat when she heard the breathy sound of her voice. "I mean...you really want to go? It would just be the two of us -"

"I'd like that though! Uh, I mean - if you wanna go with me?"

Weiss knew they had an audience, but she couldn't turn away from Ruby's eyes right now - not while she played the words over and over again in her mind.

Ruby wanted to spend time with her - and just her. Ruby wanted to spend time with her so much, she didn't care what they did - even if that meant they ended up at an AchieveMen concert together.

"Of course I do," Weiss replied, smiling when Ruby broke into another grin. "Let's go."

"Awesome!" Ruby hopped in excitement - which only made Weiss' smile grow - before her eyes widened. "Oh, uh let me shower first? I'll be fast!"

Ruby only waited for a nod before racing into the bathroom, leaving the rest of the room frozen in her absence. Only after Weiss heard the sound of a faucet did she turn and find that Yang was still shell-shocked by the rapid turn of events. It was only when Blake bumped into Yang's shoulder that she shook out of her daze.

"Told you it'd work," Blake whispered, smiling when Yang shook her head one more time.

"Yeah, wow. You must give one helluva pep talk."

"I wouldn't really call it a 'pep talk,'" Blake started to say, but when Yang raised one brow, she shook her head and laughed. "But yes. Yes, I do."

Satisfied with that answer, Yang smiled and softly clapped her hands together.

"Well. Looks like you got your date, Weiss."

Blushing at the word, Weiss tried to play off how nervous it made her. A date with Ruby - at a concert, no less. That wasn't at all how she'd envisioned their first date (or any of their dates) to go, but she should've known to expect the unexpected when it came to Ruby.

Not that it was officially a date! Ruby only said that she'd love to spend some time with Weiss - which _felt_ date-like, but the term was never used. That was ok though. The first step had been taken, now it was up to Weiss to make the rest of this evening _feel_ like a date.

Unfortunately, she couldn't fully enjoy this moment - not when she hasn't yet fulfilled her half of the deal she'd made with Yang. And no way was she letting Yang's inability to ask someone out interfere with her night with Ruby.

"I guess I won't be able to watch that movie with you, after all," Weiss said, watching Yang's eyes widen while Blake turned towards her.

"What movie?" Blake asked, her curiosity rising higher than usual - to a level reserved for Yang and Yang alone.

"Oh, uh, it's just this zombie one I thought would be cool," Yang muttered, running a hand through her hair and sending Weiss a glance out of the corner of her eye. The expression pleaded for help - so much so that Weiss nearly laughed.

In almost any situation, Yang was the calm one. The cool one. The never-phased one. But with Blake sitting beside her, and their knees _just barely_ touching, Yang begged Weiss for help.

They were both rather helpless, it appeared.

"It sounded like fun," Weiss added, even though she had no idea what the movie was about. "Maybe you two should watch while we're at the concert."

The twitch in Blake's ears gave away her interest, and Weiss grinned at Yang while a new plan formed - a better plan than their original one.

"Maybe order in some food," she suggested. "Make a night of it."

Yang's response was to look at Blake - and Blake's response was to look at Yang. It was so obvious that both of them wanted to say 'yes,' yet they insisted upon doing the shy, uncertain dance Weiss had all but perfected with Ruby.

"That sounds fun," Blake finally offered, hesitant at first.

"Yeah?" Yang asked, lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning. "I'd love to watch it with you!"

"Then let's do that," Blake replied, smiling while Yang grinned at her like a fool.

Weiss resisted the urge to roll her eyes at their blatant delight at the turn of events. Of course, rolling her eyes would be hypocritical when she did the exact same thing with Ruby.

She was going to a concert with Ruby - one which she wasn't dressed or prepared for - but one she was entirely too excited for regardless.

Hearing the bathroom door open and smelling a wave of fresh roses flow into the room, Weiss caught Ruby's eyes and immediately blushed.

"Ready!" Ruby said, shaking her damp hair before giving Weiss a thumbs up. "Can we get dinner first?"

"Absolutely."

Dinner and a concert - that certainly sounded like a date...

Grabbing her wallet and standing, Weiss shot one last look at Blake and Yang - who were still preoccupied with each other - before smiling and following Ruby to the door.

Yang liked to say that Weiss was a terrible 'wingman,' but she'd have to say that dinner and a movie within the privacy of their dorm room sounded like a fantastic date. Of course, Yang would probably chicken out at every opportunity of intimacy, but that's what second, third, and fourth dates were for.

"I'm really excited!" Ruby said, recapturing Weiss' attention as they walked into the hall. The next moment, Ruby looped her arm through Weiss', and she suddenly felt like she could levitate right off the ground in happiness.

"Me too," Weiss whispered.

It was embarrassing how excited she was. This was similar to when they went looking for different kinds of trees, only multiplied by ten.

"Do you know any of the songs?" she asked while they walked down the hall, trying to behave normally even though she could hear her heart beating in her ears.

Her answer was a giggle that raised goosebumps along her arms.

"Nope! But we can just make up the words, right?"

When Ruby pushed open the door and held it for her, Weiss smiled and tried to slow her rapidly-beating heart.

"That sounds like a great idea."

"Awesome!" Pausing for several seconds, Ruby turned to Weiss with a shy smile. "It's, uh, it's a date!"

With a single word, Ruby sent Weiss' heart soaring through a series of loops and turns unlike anything she'd felt before. After all the waiting, the watching, the hopeless longing, they were going on a date - a real, Ruby-verified date.

Weiss was nervous - knowing she might very well make a fool of herself - but also more excited than she'd possibly ever been before. She owed this moment to another great idea though - accidentally confessing a crush to a teammate, then agreeing to help set each other up in the aftermath.

Yang and her were horrible matchmakers though. Honestly, she was surprised it worked out. Pleasantly surprised, but still...surprised.


	19. The First Dance - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee  
Summary: Blake and Yang get to know each other a little better...**

* * *

Blake came to Beacon with no expectation other than escaping her previous life. Other than that primary driver, she had no idea what to expect from her new home. Would she be behind the other students? What did the curriculum look like? What types of people would she be surrounded by? Would it be worth the time? Would it help erase her past?

After the battle with the Nevermore - and the entire selection process, really - she determined that Beacon's training methods were...unorthodox. Most schools shied away from throwing unskilled and unprepared fighters into a forest full of Grimm - at least, she liked to think so.

But Beacon's methods served a purpose. The new arrivals now had partners, teammates, and a good idea of what they were in for - meaning that they had no idea what they were in for. Today was no exception.

They were supposed to start regular classes today. Instead, they were split off with their partners and shoved into small rooms containing nothing but two folding chairs, two bottles of water, and two pieces of paper with their names at the top. No instructions, no time limit - just two relative strangers locked in a room together.

"So...what're we supposed to do?"

Sighing at the question, Blake watched Yang fold and unfold her hands, looking just as uncomfortable and restless as Blake internally felt.

At least Yang seemed friendly and agreeable - definitely better than some of the other options in the incoming class of huntsmen. In the forest, Blake avoided the more obnoxious students like the plague, knowing that being paired with someone holding an ounce of Faunus hate would have her on the next ship out of Beacon.

But Yang was...different.

"I guess we go through these questions," Blake answered, gesturing towards the papers they held in their hands.

Dozens of 'get to know you' questions were printed on the page, which they'd already determined were the same for each of them. Likes, dislikes, fighting styles, school history - the types of questions Blake loathed answering on a normal day, much less to a stranger. Even though Yang seemed like a nice person, Blake was a long way from giving out some of this information.

"Ok, I'll go first!"

Leaning back in her chair, Yang gave Blake an easy smile while turning the paper around and pointing to her name at the top. "I'm Yang," she began, her smile growing when Blake unwittingly smiled at the joke.

"Blake," she answered, playing along with the idea that they hadn't already met and taken down several Grimm together.

"Nice to meet you, Blake!" Yang replied, before glancing at the paper in her hands and reading the next question. "Uh, I grew up in Patch with my dad and sister - I think you've met her. She wears a lot of red, talks super fast, and has a weapon bigger than she is?"

After playfully considering the description, Blake nodded.

"Sounds familiar."

Again, Yang's smile grew at Blake's participation - displaying a genuine appreciation for Blake's willingness to play along with this little charade.

But now it was Blake's turn to respond, and she looked at the page while thinking through her options.

How much did she want to reveal about herself right now? Honestly, nothing. She didn't trust strangers.

Even though Yang wasn't a complete stranger, she was still an unknown. And even the people you thought you knew best could find ways to surprise you...

Yet Blake stared at the page while words stuck to the tip of her tongue. For whatever reason, she didn't want to outright lie to Yang. Maybe because Yang seemed so honest and genuine. Maybe because Yang felt...safe - which was the most dangerous trait to believe in.

Blake didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to be honest…

In the midst of her deliberation, she felt rather than saw Yang stand up - and the next second jumped out of her seat when a fist whizzed past her left ear.

"What are you doing?" she asked from her new position on the opposite side of Yang, her heart pounding while Yang chuckled and crumpled her sheet of paper into a ball.

"I figured you'd be quick!" Yang said, tossing the balled paper towards Blake - who calmly stepped out of its path and frowned.

"So you tried to punch me to prove yourself right?"

Again, Yang laughed. The sound brought out a strange feeling for Blake - part happiness, part amusement, and part annoyance. What if she hadn't gotten out of the way in time? A blow with that much power probably would've knocked her out or given her a serious concussion.

But maybe Yang never intended to land the blow - maybe she aimed to miss, knowing that Blake would react to the perceived attack in time.

From Yang's grin, Blake somehow believed the latter to be true.

"Icebreakers are boring," Yang explained, raising both fists and rolling to the balls of her feet. "Let's dance."

"Dance? But there's no -"

Blake didn't have time to finish the sentence, as Yang flew towards her with surprising speed and agility. Another fist shot past Blake's ear when she spun around the attack just in time - again ending up opposite Yang.

Now Blake understood that Yang didn't mean actual dancing - she meant fighting. She wanted to fight in this tiny room when they were supposed to be getting to know each other.

Maybe Blake miscalculated her choice of partner. Maybe Yang's friendly demeanor masked a serious flaw?

Another fist sped towards her, and Blake again spun around the attack - but this time somehow ended up spinning directly into Yang. As arms locked around her - a stronger grip than anything she'd felt before - Blake squirmed and only felt vice grow tighter.

"Learned that in a bar fight," Yang said in Blake's ear, not sounding at all affected by the effort of holding Blake in place. "Guy tried to knife me."

The response sounded like a clear lie, so Blake huffed in disbelief. She could imagine Yang in a bar - but partying the night away, not getting into fights. But disbelief wasn't going to get her out of this vice grip - ingenuity was.

Briefly ending her struggles, Blake turned her head towards Yang - finding lilac eyes that somehow maintained their warmth regardless of this circumstance.

"Really?" Blake asked, making sure to sound as interested as possible.

"Yeah!" As suspected, Yang was more excited to spin her tale than fight, and her arms loosened ever so slightly. "He thought he could -"

A breath of air suddenly passed Yang's lips when Blake landed an elbow in her side and broke away from the hold. Moving across the room so the two chairs separated them, Blake felt a smug smile pull at her lips.

Yang thought it was fun to spin tales? Blake could spin tales too - the real kind.

"Learned that from a statesman's personal bodyguard," she explained. "He thought he got the drop on me - arrogance never pays off."

As expected, Yang laughed - taking the answer as a joke. But the battle didn't end there. The next second, Yang planted a foot on one of the folding chairs and jumped - leaping towards Blake in a frontal attack.

It was the most blatant and easily-avoidable attack, which was why Blake jolted in surprise when she rolled out of the way and suddenly found herself staring at the back of the second folding chair.

Somehow, Yang grabbed the chair mid-leap and would have leveled Blake with it if this hadn't been a 'friendly' fight. Instead, Yang left it in Blake's path as a clear mark of another 'win.'

"Crashed a wedding trying to find someone," Yang answered, grinning proudly while setting the chair on the floor and backing several paces away. "Learned these chairs are pretty versatile. Except they break after one or two uses."

Rolling back to her toes, Yang bobbed in place while waiting for Blake's next move - all with that smile set in place.

"Fighting at a wedding?" Blake asked, surprised that that's the story Yang decided to go with.

"Mob wedding," Yang explained with a shrug. "Couldn't be helped."

The elaboration made Blake laugh, both enjoying and still surprised by the situation. It seemed to have no purpose other than passing the time, but it was better than going through the questions on that paper.

"I find it hard to picture you getting involved with the mob," Blake replied, running her ribbon through her fingers while pinpointing a means of attack.

"There's probably a lot of things you can't picture me getting involved with," Yang responded with a wink before waving Blake forward. "Come on - I'll show you."

Again, Blake smiled and shook her head - finding it impossible to be annoyed by Yang's banter.

"What did I say about arrogance?"

"Uh...do it?" Yang joked.

Blake hardly managed to shake her head before Yang pounced on her opportunity - or what she thought was her opportunity. Leading with her foot in a textbook roundhouse kick, Yang gave Blake the perfect window to duck and wrap a ribbon around her other foot. One good pull and she crashed to the floor.

Blake didn't approach, however, knowing better than to grapple with Yang in close quarters. Instead, she smirked while Yang easily spun herself back to her feet.

"Learned that infiltrating a maximum security building," she said, hearing a verge of pride in her tone.

"Maximum security, huh?" Yang asked, rubbing her side before raising her fists again. "Whatcha stealing?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Blake teased in return. She felt bad about hitting Yang, but it looked like the girl was a glutton for punishment - confirming Blake's suspicion that Yang was actually a tank.

"I'm guessing Dust."

It was supposed to be a 'lie,' but the guess made Blake's ears straighten in surprise as she went flatfooted.

"How -?"

"Dust's the only thing worth stealing these days," Yang answered with a smile that contained not one ounce of judgement. "Guess the only question is - were you working alone?"

For a long time, Blake just stared - unsure how to respond to that question. It was a 'joke,' so she could say anything - anything would make the moment fall behind them. Instead, she froze - worried that Yang could see right through the bow tied around her ears.

"Bet you were working with some reconfigured trash compactors," Yang finally added with a chuckle. "I've heard those things are deadly, if you have them at your disposal."

Letting out a surprised laugh at the horrible joke, Blake shook her head and glanced to the side when the door opened. One of their professors, a stern-looking woman with glasses and a perpetual frown, strode inside and immediately found them.

"That's all for today," the woman said, her eyes scanning the chairs strewn across the room. "I hope you two feel more acquainted now."

When Blake caught Yang's eye, Yang smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, those questions totally worked! I feel like we know each other a lot better now."

When their professor looked in Blake's direction, she smiled and nodded in agreement with Yang's response. Accepting their answer, the woman gave one nod before turning on her heel to leave the room.

"Good. Real lessons begin tomorrow - come prepared."

Without another word, their professor left them behind - likely to release the rest of the partners from their forced icebreakers. After sharing another glance, Yang shrugged and pushed the chairs back into place.

"Guess we're done then," Blake said while Yang put the room back just how they'd found it.

"Yeah, guess so." Dusting off her hands, Yang smiled at Blake and nodded towards the door. Taking the silent cue that it was time to leave, Blake willingly followed Yang into the hall so they could make their way back to the dorms.

Blake's mind was still reeling from the 'class' they'd just shared and the masked disclosures she'd made. Fortunately, it felt like Yang had already written off the entire episode and was content to move on to whatever came next.

"Hey, maybe sometime we can dance for real."

"The last time I danced was with my dad - I was five," Blake replied - her way of saying it was unlikely she'd be dancing again anytime soon. But when the answer made Yang laugh, Blake turned towards her in confusion.

"What?"

"Nothing -" Shaking her head, Yang stopped her laughter and put on a straight face. "It's just - you didn't even pause before answering that question."

Yang kept walking down the hall, but Blake stopped - realizing that Yang was right.

She hadn't paused. She hadn't thought anything of revealing that personal information - about her childhood, no less. She just answered. She just...trusted Yang with that information.

"You coming?"

From her spot up ahead, Yang looked over her shoulder and smiled - another kind, accepting smile that seemed too transparent to be fake. Feeling another smile appear, Blake hurried to catch up, ready to walk back to their dorm together.

Surprisingly, she did know Yang better than when they'd been forced into that room. Yang wasn't only kind and genuine - those were just surface traits. She was also insightful and intuitive. Somehow, she knew Blake didn't want to answer those questions, so figured out a different way for them to break the ice - with a dance. It was unexpected and unorthodox, but that seemed to be Beacon as a whole.

Contrary to Blake's initial hesitations, she might really like it here - and maybe, just maybe, she'd found someone she could trust. That didn't mean she had to trust Yang fully, but she needed to trust Yang a little bit.

Maybe she already did trust Yang a little bit...


	20. Tales of the Wild Side - WR

**Pairing: White Rose (and a little Bumblebee)  
** **Summary: Ruby brings home a new board game...**

 **This story is different - you'll see! lol but people ask me for things, and I do my best to deliver!**

* * *

The door was hardly open before Ruby raced inside, fumbling to pull her key out of the lock as she nearly tripped over her feet.

"Weiss!" she called out, turning back to the door handle when it refused to set her free.

This _always_ happened when she was excited - her key got stuck in the lock so she couldn't run inside! It was like the door intentionally tried to ruin her excitement or something! She asked Weiss if it was a special type of lock - one that hated fun - but Weiss swore it wasn't.

Ruby swore too - but under her breath while fiddling with her keys.

"Weiss!" she said again, only this time in a whine while she struggled against her mighty foe. No matter which direction she turned the key, it always seemed to stick...

"Did you get stuck again?"

Hearing the calming, slightly-amused voice, Ruby gave up her struggles and turned around.

"Yes!" she answered as Weiss walked over to her. "Please help me."

With a light chuckle, Weiss reached out and easily pulled the key from the lock. Holding Ruby's keys in the air with that amused smile still on her face, she gave them a little shake before dropping them in Ruby's hand.

"What's got you in such a rush?"

"This!"

Her excitement returning now that she was freed of the door, Ruby held up the long, thin box she'd run home with. Tilting her head to the side, Weiss read the title scrawled across the top of the box in blue pen.

"'Tales of the Wild Side?'" she asked, giving Ruby a curious glance. "Is this a new board game?"

"Yes! Can we play it now? Please?"

As soon as Ruby threw in a 'please,' she knew Weiss would agree - because Weiss always agreed when Ruby asked nicely! That was supposed to be a secret, but she'd figured it out pretty early into their relationship. And, if a straight 'please' didn't do the trick, a 'please' coupled with some puppy dog eyes _always_ worked.

"Before dinner?" Weiss asked and, after Ruby nodded, shrugged in acceptance. "If that's what you want to do."

"It is!"

Ruby was about to race into the living room but stopped when a hand appeared on her elbow to stop her.

"But first -" Weiss said, catching Ruby's attention once more. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Briefly confused by the question, Ruby looked at her hands - where she held her keys and the board game - before understanding hit her over the head like one of those fake clown-hammers.

"Oh!" she exclaimed before leaning forward and kissing Weiss on the lips. "Hi, Weiss! I missed you!"

"I missed you too," Weiss replied before stepping to the side and waving for Ruby to lead the way to the living room. "Now after you."

With a hop, skip, and jump, Ruby found herself in the comfortable room with a sofa, coffee table, TV and stuff, and a desk in the far corner. She really liked this room because it was where they spent most of their time - watching movies, talking, or playing one of an assortment of board games. They liked board games! Well, Ruby did. Weiss got a little competitive sometimes (especially if Yang was playing) but when it was just the two of them things were fine.

"What's special about this one?" Weiss asked while collecting a couple of magazines from the coffee table to make room for Ruby to set down the box.

"I don't know yet!" Ruby replied, claiming her spot on the floor across from the sofa. "But look at the pretty design on the box!"

Before pulling off the lid, she pointed to the intricate, animalistic patterns drawn across the top of an otherwise plain cardboard box. The level of detail made her think this was going to be one of the best games yet, but she couldn't confirm that until they tried it out.

Removing the cover and setting it to the side, Ruby let out a soft squeal of excitement when she saw the folded-up board on top. Taking that out and laying it flat on the coffee table, she found more intricate designs - but done in color this time. Reds, blues, yellows, greens, purples - all swirled together to create an awesome background of colors that was partially hidden by the plain squares of the game board.

"Where do you find these, anyway?" Weiss asked while looking at the board.

"Oh, just around."

"They look like they're made in alleys."

Ruby chuckled at the comment but didn't answer.

She didn't think the games were _made_ in the alley, but that's where she went to buy them! There was one alley where all these uniquely-dressed people set up their games and stuff to buy - all these cool, homemade things that couldn't be found anywhere else! As great as 'regular' board games were, she'd discovered that the 'alley' ones were usually more fun. Some of them had rules that didn't make sense, or stories that were super crazy, but that was part of the thrill of trying something new.

"Here - let me help."

Reaching out, Weiss took several stacks of cards - the backs of them either blue, yellow, or red - and started shuffling them in their separate piles.

"Oh, before I forget," she added while setting one stack onto a matching colored-space on the board. "Where'd you put that book we borrowed from Blake?"

"Which one?"

"The one about dragons you wanted to read?"

"Ohhhh." Chuckling, Ruby swiped a hand through her hair and sent Weiss a sheepish grin. "I used it to hold the garage door open..."

"Don't tell her that," Weiss teased, returning her gaze to the board and setting a stack of yellow cards on top of a yellow square. "She said she'd come get it soon."

"Ok. At least I know where it is this time!"

"That's a good start," Weiss replied with a shake of her head. But she still smiled - one of those smiles that said she was more amused than anything else.

Last time, Ruby lost the book Blake loaned them. They were so sure Blake would flip out, they tore the house apart looking for it. When they still couldn't find it, they raced to the bookstore and bought a new copy along with like twenty other books. The hope was that Blake would be so distracted by the new books that she wouldn't realize that _her_ book was different.

Yeah, that didn't work. Blake immediately noticed and swore she'd never lend them anything ever again. She still took the other books though...and she offered to loan them another book like two weeks later.

Looking into the game box, Ruby grinned and snatched one of the small, colored figurines from inside. "I'll be red!" she said, holding up a miniature carving of a fox that was painted red. "And I'm guessing you'll be wife!"

She'd already grabbed the white token by the time she realized her slip-up.

"I mean white!" she added, nervously laughing while setting both pieces on the square that said 'begin.' "This board is cool, huh?" she quickly added, hoping to change the subject, but Weiss had already arched one brow in interest.

"What's with you and that word recently?" she asked, reaching forward and turning her little white pony so it faced the right direction.

"N-nothing! It's just - 'Weiss' and 'wife' kinda sound the same, don't they?"

Unconvinced, Weiss leaned back against the sofa and said a soft "Uh huh..."

"Anyway!" Ruby said, grabbing the instructions and unfolding them. "Let's see..."

Finding the short introduction, she started reading out loud.

"Tales of the Wild Side is a cooperative game that will have you channel your inner spirit - learning more about yourself as well as those closest to you. Through the course of this game, you'll be presented with unique challenges and opportunities that will help you embrace your wild side."

Lowering the paper, Ruby grinned at Weiss - who smiled back at her.

"Sounds exciting," Weiss added, although Ruby couldn't tell if that was said only for her benefit.

Even though playing board games wasn't really Weiss' thing, she still played with Ruby. It didn't even matter how awful some of the games were; somehow, they always found ways to have fun.

"It does!"

Looking back at the instructions, Ruby scanned the rules to figure out how to start the game.

"Ok, so each person gets a token," she said, picking up her little red fox and immediately setting it back down. "Then we roll a die. Whoever gets the higher number goes first."

Searching the box, Ruby pulled out a little white cube that _looked_ like a die, but...

"There aren't any dots on it," Weiss pointed out.

"Maybe we're supposed to draw them?" Ruby asked, turning the cube over in her hand to make sure it was blank.

"Maybe. But that seems strange when everything else is finished."

Weiss had a good point there. Plus, there was no instruction to create their own die. So...this had to be the right one, right?

Dropping the cube on the board to test it out, Ruby gasped when a single black dot suddenly appeared.

"No way!" she shouted, grabbing the die to try it again. Three dots appeared this time. "That's so cool! It must be like...weighted to appear only when it touches a surface!"

Tossing the die one more time, Ruby sighed when she got another single dot. "Well, you pretty much won," she said while handing it over to Weiss.

"Not necessarily," Weiss commented while inspecting the unique little cube. "I have a fairly high probability of getting the same number as you. Then we'd have to re-roll."

When Weiss dropped the die to the table, Ruby leaned forward on her knees to see the result. Finding a cube filled with black dots, she sat back and laughed.

"Or you can get the highest number possible!" she remarked, accepting defeat and picking up the instructions one more time. "Ok, so you're going first. And it says...the second player writes the first player's animal on a piece of paper and puts it in the Box of Becoming - then the first player's adventure will begin."

Searching the box, Ruby pulled out a small, wooden chest that was just as intricately carved as the figurines. 'Box of Becoming' was etched into the wood on the top of the box, and there was a small opening for a slip of paper to be pushed through.

Conveniently, there were also a few pieces of paper in the box, along with one of those mini pencils. Taking those out, Ruby tapped the end of the pencil to her lip and stared at Weiss - trying to think of what animal to write down. Was it supposed to be the animal Weiss most closely reminded her of? Or looked like? Or acted like? Or just any animal?

Seeing as how there weren't very specific instructions for this part of the game, Ruby decided it was up to her. After a few moments of deliberation - during which Weiss watched her with a small smile - Ruby landed on her choice and wrote it down on the paper. Folding it in half, she slipped it into the Box of Becoming and picked up the instructions once more.

"Ok, now that that's done…" she mumbled. "Oh, I'll roll the die and move _your_ token forward however many spaces. The color of the square it lands on determines what type of card we draw - from the 'Challenge,' 'Teamwork,' or 'Opportunity' pile. Sounds easy enough, right?"

Lowering the sheet of paper, Ruby looked across the coffee table and -

Found herself looking at a fluffy, white cat.

A cat was sitting on the sofa.

Wait.

Yup, a cat was sitting on the sofa.

How the heck did a cat get in here? They didn't have any pets (even though Ruby was laying the groundwork to _beg_ for a puppy). They didn't even _know_ anyone who had a cat! So...where did this one come from?

"Uh, Weiss?" she called out. "Did you bring a cat home?"

No response, so she kept staring at the cat - which was looking at itself like it was surprised about something.

"Weiss?" Ruby called out again, dropping the instructions on the floor and slowly standing up. As soon as she moved, the cat looked at her with super clear blue eyes. The color looked _exactly_ like -

"Weiss!" Ruby shouted louder this time, her eyes sticking to the cat - which was now staring at her. "Weiss, if this is a joke or something - uh, it's very funny! But can you come out now? Please?"

Instead of Weiss popping up from behind the sofa to claim the best practical joke in the history of practical jokes, the cat stood up and walked towards Ruby.

"Meow?"

"Uh yes, hello cat," Ruby said, backing away like the tiny creature might try to hurt her. "I'm - I'm sure we can find your owner! I just...I need Weiss to tell me what to do."

Risking a glance towards the hall nearly cost Ruby her life when she tripped over the edge of the sofa and almost fell over. She caught herself at the last second! But during that brief moment in time where she'd been falling, the cat raced forward - almost as if - as if it was...worried…

"Meow," it called out again. And this time the 'meow' might as well have been 'Ruby' - the same 'Ruby' she heard whenever she injured herself. Combined with the same concerned blue eyes that followed her around the house.

Forgetting her attempt to escape, Ruby dropped to her knees in front of the tiny creature.

"Weiss?" she asked, watching the cat turn around to look at its tail swishing back and forth. "Uh - ok - this is gonna sound crazy but...is that you?"

"Mrow," was the disgruntled response as the cat spun in a circle before sitting down and giving Ruby the most cat-like glare she'd ever seen.

"No - for real," Ruby said, still not believing her eyes. "Is that really you? You need to give me a sign or something, like - swish your tail!"

When the cat swished its tail back and forth, Ruby's eyes widened further.

"That could've been a coincidence," she muttered to herself before saying, "Uh, ok, now raise your right paw."

When the cute little right paw lifted from the ground, Ruby gasped and reached out.

"Oh my god! Weiss, I'm so sorry!" Without thinking, she plucked the small creature off the ground and held it up in the air. "I didn't think you'd _actually_ turn into a cat! I thought - I mean -"

Looking into pretty blue eyes, Ruby felt her surprise melting - replaced by a much stronger emotion.

"You're so cuteeeeee!" she squealed, pulling Weiss close to her chest. Pressing her front paws into Ruby's shoulder and leaning as far away as possible, Weiss looked very much like she wanted to jump away.

"Mrrrrr," she protested, struggling against Ruby's embrace. But Ruby refused to let go - because she'd never had a little, tiny, Weiss-cat before!

"Sooooo cute!" she repeated, sitting down on the sofa and standing Weiss on her knees. "Look at you! So pretty and white and softtttt." Running a hand down Weiss' back, Ruby scratched towards the base of her tail and laughed when her back arched in happiness. "Yeah you like that, don't you," Ruby giggled, but the next second, Weiss hopped away and gave Ruby another glare.

"Mrrrr…"

"Ok, so you're not _entirely_ happy with this," Ruby said, sensing the tone even though Weiss couldn't speak. "But you _are_ super cute! Look at your cute ears and little nose and - and - I'll totally figure out how to get you back! Like, right now!"

While those blue eyes continued to stare, Ruby rushed to the other side of the coffee table and picked up the instructions for the game.

"Ok, how to turn back," she muttered while scanning the page. "How to turn back, how to turn - aha! 'How to regain your original form!'"

After reading the small section, Ruby set the paper down and looked at Weiss.

"It's easy! We just have to finish the game!" Ruby held out the paper like Weiss might like to read it, then withdrew it when she thought that...maybe cats don't read?

Meanwhile, Weiss hopped off the sofa, but then she wasn't tall enough to see the game board. Standing on her two back legs, she put her front paws on the coffee table to look - andddd still wasn't tall enough.

"Weissss," Ruby giggled at the sight. "If you want to see, just get on the table!"

When Weiss dropped to all fours, Ruby could practically hear the tirade going through her little cat-head. 'Get on the table? Preposterous. What kind of person would I be if I _stood_ on the coffee table? A heathen. A hooligan. That's something _Yang_ would do.'

"Guess you just won't see what's going on…" Ruby teased - and then smiled when Weiss hopped onto the table and sat down - like a pretty cat princess.

This was still really weird, but super cute. Ruby kind of wanted to get Weiss a little cat-tiara or something, but...she probably shouldn't say that out loud at the moment. Not when Weiss was sending fierce cat-glares everywhere.

Not to fear though! Ruby was a pro at playing board games! She could totally handle this situation, even though she was a _little_ nervous because normally she'd ask Weiss to help with something like this. Instead, she'd have to figure everything out on her own...and she definitely wasn't the 'brains' of the two of them. She wasn't the 'beauty' either.

"Ok," Ruby murmured, picking up the die. "No reason to panic...just gotta roll this and play through the board…"

Dropping the die on the table, she sighed when a single dot appeared in the center of it.

"Man, I have the _worst_ luck with this thing."

Moving Weiss' white pony forward one spot, Ruby saw that the token landed on a green 'opportunity' square.

"Now we take one of these…" she said, pulling the top card from a stack of green ones and flipping it over. A short phrase was written on the back, which she read aloud because of the whole 'cat reading' thing.

"'Introductions set the stage for any relationship, but different eyes offer a second glance. Human player - now's your chance.'"

Dropping the card onto the table, Ruby scratched her head and mulled over the not-very-clear instructions. "Second glance?" she repeated. "Now's my chance?"

She looked at Weiss for help, but...Weiss was still a cat.

"Ok, it's a riddle," Ruby said, puzzling her way through it without the help of the super-genius sitting on the table in front of her. "Introductions set the stage...different eyes - you have the _same_ eyes though."

Leaning forward, Ruby stared into Weiss' eyes and tried to find any differences. And the closer she leaned, the _bigger_ Weiss' pupils got. Like, they were huge!

" _That's_ different," Ruby remarked, moving away and watching Weiss' pupils shrink to a more normal size. "So maybe you have different eyes, even though they're the same color! Does everything look different?"

In response to the question, Weiss glanced around the room before looking down at the ground.

Oh wait.

"Was that supposed to be a nod?" Ruby asked before giggling. "I don't think I've ever seen a cat nod before!"

From the way Weiss swished her tail and tilted her chin up in the air, Ruby knew she wouldn't ever see it _again_ either.

"Ok, different eyes, second glance…" Ruby mused. "Now's my chance to...oh! Now's my chance to introduce myself!"

The game wanted her to introduce herself again - only this time to Weiss as a cat versus Weiss as a human. Which sounded good to Ruby! Her first introduction included a whole lot of apologizing for accidentally running into Weiss and knocking her drink all over her. Iced tea, thankfully, but still embarrassing!

Clearing her throat, Ruby looked at Weiss and…felt a little ridiculous for talking to a cat. But the cat was so Weiss-like, it _kind of_ felt like talking to the real Weiss…

"Alright," Ruby said, throwing on a smile while Weiss stared at her with unblinking eyes. "H-hey there!" she stumbled out of the gate. "Uh, I'm - my name's Ruby, and I'm - I'm...still totally nervous!"

Burying her face in her hands, Ruby groaned before looking back at Weiss. "How're you so intimidating as a cat?"

After her tail gave a quick swish, Weiss walked over to the edge of the coffee table and sat down - her eyes never leaving Ruby's. Without words, she clearly said - 'Try again - only this time I'll sit closer so you're _more_ nervous.'

"K," Ruby said, shaking her hands to get rid of the jitters. "Right, this should be easy. I'm introducing myself _now_. And now, I'm your girlfriend!"

When Weiss' ears twitched - looking almost happy at the term - Ruby grinned and continued.

"I'm Ruby," she said, her confidence growing when Weiss' tail made a soft swoop across the table. "And I'm your girlfriend - have been for like four years now! We live in this nice house together -" Looking around the room, Ruby smiled at the memories they'd shared here. "And...I dunno what else...people say I'm always happy, but I'm pretty sure that's because I'm with you."

Nodding at the brief introduction, Ruby did a double take when she noticed that the card she'd drawn was now blank. The words had disappeared!

"Guess that means we did it!" she exclaimed, reaching out and lifting Weiss' paw for an itty-bitty high-five that disgruntled the heck out of her. Before Ruby was bitten or something, she grabbed the die and tossed it onto the coffee table a second time.

"Five!" she announced, quickly counting out five places and moving Weiss' token forward. "We're making progress now!"

The token landed on a red square, so Ruby grabbed a corresponding red card from another pile.

"Challenge!" she said as she sat back and read their next task.

"'We're masters of our own form," she read aloud. "Upon taking another, what was once the norm might now cause a storm."

Setting the card on the table, Ruby shook her head and tried to interpret the saying.

"You'd think they'd make this a little more obvious," she joked, smiling at Weiss and receiving another steady stare in the process. "Oook...so...what was once the norm - what was once normal - now causes a storm. Like...makes us upset?"

"Mrow..."

"Yeah?" Ruby asked, grinning at what sounded an awful lot like confirmation of that line of reasoning. "So something you hate, but you hate a lot of things…oh! Or something a cat hates! Something you'd do as a human that you'd hate as a cat!"

That felt like the right answer. She doubted that Weiss-the-Cat would hate unfolded linens the way Weiss-the-Human did, so she needed to figure out what _cats_ hated.

"Dogs?" she suggested. "But where would we get a dog right now?"

"Mrowwww," Weiss...said.

"I know, I know - you wanna be human again. Then do you have any ideas? Like..." Looking around the living room, Ruby's eyes landed on a vase of roses she'd just watered to yesterday.

"Oh! I got it!" When the perfect answer popped into her mind, she grinned at Weiss - whose long, slinky tail stilled while waiting for the suggestion.

"I'll give you a bath!"

From what Ruby knew about cats (learned from cartoons and movies), they _hated_ water. No cat wanted to take a bath, but people took baths all the time!

"Alright - upstairs we go!" Ruby announced, scrambling to her feet. As she reached down to scoop Weiss up, she froze when the doorbell rang. Spinning towards the front door, her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

"That must be Blake!" she said, looking around and then at Weiss - who was still very much a cat. "Crap! Ok, ok, uh, she's here for the book, so I'll get the book and get rid of her - and you hide!"

With a single nod at that hasty plan, Ruby raced to the garage and grabbed the book off the floor. After dusting off the cover and making sure it looked fine, she ran to the front door - taking a quick glance into the living room and finding Weiss standing near the doorway.

Raising one finger to her lips in a shushing motion, Ruby threw open the front door and thrust the book into a very-surprised Blake's hands.

"Here you go, Blake! See you later!"

She tried to close the door as fast as possible, but a hand grabbed the edge and stopped her.

"Woah woah woah - what's the rush?"

Sighing at Yang's voice, Ruby poked her head outside to find Blake _and_ Yang standing on the front porch. "Nothing! Just giving Blake's book back!"

"By throwing it at her?" Yang asked, casting an attentive glance Blake's way. But when Blake looked over her book and smiled, Yang immediately broke into a smile of her own.

"Anyway, before you slam the door, we thought you and Weiss would want to grab dinner!"

On any other day, Ruby's answer was a happy 'heck yes!' She loved when the four of them had dinner together! Unfortunately, today wasn't such a great day for that, mostly because restaurants probably had 'no-cats' policies.

"Oh, uh, well, we're kinda in the middle of something right now."

Yang's nose wrinkled at the response.

"Is that why you won't let us in?"

"What?" Ruby asked before her cheeks flushed with understanding. "N-no! Nothing like that! It's just - uh, like -" Trying to save this conversation, she searched for something other than 'Weiss is a cat right now.'

"We're playing a game!"

"Then why can't we come in?" Blake asked, tilting her head to the side - which was a bad sign. Very bad. When Blake caught the scent of a secret or a lie, she was like a freaking bloodhound tracking down the truth.

"W-well, because - it's a private game," Ruby stammered, realizing she was only making this worse. But that's why she wasn't in charge of talking to people! This was Weiss' job - Weiss was super good at staying calm under pressure!

Feeling something rub against her leg, Ruby looked down and found Weiss standing by her ankle.

"You got a cat!" Yang exclaimed, shooting Ruby an excited-yet-incredulous look before kneeling down on the front step. "Oh my god - did you ask Weiss first? She's gonna kill you if you brought home a stray cat without asking."

"She's not a stray!" Ruby whined. "She's - I'm - I'm watching her for someone."

"Uh huh…" Reaching out a hand, Yang tried to pet Weiss - but Weiss hissed and backed away.

"Wow, ok. Weiss will love this cat." Standing up, Yang shook her head and retook Blake's hand.

"It has her eyes," Blake commented, studying Weiss intently.

"What?" Chuckling at the (very accurate) observation, Ruby waved off the words. "Totally does not!"

"Uh, yeah," Yang said, looking at Ruby like she was crazy. "Its eyes are the same color as Weiss'."

"Ohhh." This time, Ruby laughed at the misunderstanding. "Same color. Got it - right, they're pretty close!"

Narrowing her eyes, Yang gave Ruby a thoughtful look.

"What's up with you? Why're you being weird?"

"I'm not being weird," Ruby replied, reaching down and picking Weiss up. "l thought you meant that this cat had Weiss' _actual_ eyes, which, you know, couldn't happen. Because Weiss is a person, and this is a cat."

Yang and Blake shared a look then - as if Ruby was speaking in some foreign language they didn't understand. Which was...probably not unusual.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Ruby said, clutching Weiss closer to her chest and stepping backward into the house. "I need to give this cat a bath!"

Giving up on figuring out what was going on, Yang chuckled and shook her head.

"Good luck with that. Hope it doesn't scratch you all up." Stepping off the front porch, Yang gave Ruby a wave as she and Blake left. "Let us know if you guys wanna have dinner this weekend then."

"Yeah! Definitely!"

Closing the front door before Yang and Blake even made it to their car, Ruby made sure to lock it before looking down and picking up one of Weiss' paws. Gently feeling them, she giggled when she made an important discovery.

"You're declawed!"

With a disgruntled sound, Weiss catapulted out of Ruby's hands and landed on the ground. She then ran upstairs while Ruby watched that super adorable white tail curl in what looked like the top half of a question mark.

"You really wanna get this over with, don't you?" she asked, jogging up the stairs and down the hall before finding Weiss already sitting on the edge of the tub. Closing the door behind her, Ruby walked over to the tub and knelt down on the bath rug.

"Ok, uh...should I like...fill it with water?"

When Ruby looked at Weiss for an answer, she got nothing but another cat gaze and soft 'meow.'

"I don't know if that means 'yes' or 'no!'" Ruby protested before sighing and making a decision on her own. "Ok, I'll fill it with warm water, but just enough that you can stand in it."

Turning on the faucet, Ruby adjusted the temperature until the water felt about right - not too hot, but not too cold.

"Can you test it?" she asked while watching the stream of water pour into the tub, unsure if 'just right' for a human was 'just right' for a cat.

Walking along the edge of the tub (with perfect balance) Weiss stopped near the faucet and stretched a paw towards the water - but she couldn't reach.

"Such cute little legs!" Ruby squealed in delight while watching Weiss give a second attempt. "Lemme help."

Again lifting Weiss up, Ruby held her in front of the faucet so she could swipe one paw through the water. As soon as she did so, however, she jerked her paw away and flicked it several times to get the water off.

"Too hot?" Ruby asked after setting Weiss down.

"Mrow."

"Again - no idea what that means." Creasing her brow, Ruby stared into Weiss' eyes and tried to read her cat-thoughts. "Can you lift your right paw if it was too hot?"

When Weiss did nothing, Ruby took it as a sign that the temperature was ok.

"You just didn't like the water?" she clarified, receiving another cute 'mrow' that was more than enough of an answer.

"Guess this _is_ going to be a challenge," Ruby replied, letting water fill the bottom six inches of the tub before turning the faucet off. "But we can totally do this! Bath time!"

Perched atop the tub, Weiss faced the water and looked like she'd jump right in - wiggling her adorable cat-booty in the process. But instead of jumping down, she prowled the ledge and repeatedly looked at the water.

"Uh, Weiss?" Ruby finally asked after Weiss had paced for a long time. "Are you gonna get in?"

The question drew clear blue eyes her way, and Ruby immediately knew - no way was Weiss jumping into the water on her own.

"How about I set you in it?" she offered, extending both hands. Weiss looked towards the water one last time - staring for a few seconds while her tail swished thoughtfully. When the water didn't go away, she turned back to Ruby and walked forward.

Silently delighted that Weiss just acquiesced, Ruby smiled and carefully picked her up before slowly lowering her into the tub.

"Thereeee you go," she murmured at the same time. "Just a little furth - woah!"

The second Weiss' paws touched the water, she squirmed out of Ruby's hands and leapt from the tub - spraying water all over Ruby in the process.

"Wha - Weiss!" she yelped, wiping water off her face and turning to find Weiss behind her. Thankfully, Ruby'd been smart enough (or lucky enough) to close the bathroom door, meaning Weiss couldn't escape from the bathroom.

"Weiss!" she called out again, waving Weiss back to her. "You have to do this!"

"Mrrrrr…" was Weiss response as she backed closer to the door, repeatedly flicking one of her wet paws.

"Seriously? It's just water!"

"Mrrr," Weiss grumbled again - voicing her obvious agitation at the situation. Which was just a _little_ bit Ruby's fault, but she couldn't fix it if Weiss wouldn't cooperate!

"We have to do this if you want to be human again!" Ruby finally said. "Don't you want to be human again?"

The last comment did the trick - as Weiss' ears drooped slightly before she trudged back, looking very much like she was being punished for something.

"Thank you," Ruby replied, picking Weiss up and kissing the top of her furry head. "This won't take long - you just need to resist _all_ your urges to get away."

When Weiss was silent, Ruby took a deep breath and slowly lowered her back into the water. This time she didn't jump away, but she did flick her paws several times and splashed water in the process. After a few seconds passed and no escape attempts were made, Ruby let go and quickly grabbed the small cup she usually used for rinsing her mouth out after brushing her teeth.

"Now the worst part," she mumbled, dipping the cup into the lukewarm water before pouring it over Weiss' back.

"Mrrrrrr," Weiss protested, squirming as the water soaked her fur - but she stayed put in the tub.

"Gooood girl," Ruby cooed while emptying several more cups over Weiss, adding enough water that all her pretty white fur was wet and sticking to her remarkably-thin body. Honestly, this was a bit of a challenge for Ruby too. Weiss looked so miserable that Ruby wanted to stop the entire ordeal - but she also wanted her regular girlfriend back!

"Remember that time we...uh, shared a bath?" Ruby whispered while getting a _tiny_ amount of soap and rubbing it into Weiss' fur as quickly and gently as possible.

"Pretty sure I almost got the nosebleed of the century," she continued, blushing at the memory before letting out a soft laugh. "Didn't I ask you if you knew CPR? In case I fainted?"

As Weiss turned towards Ruby - those blue eyes never changing their hue - Ruby dipped her hands in the water to wash the suds off before picking up her cup one more time.

"Almost done," she said, smiling at Weiss while emptying the first cup on her back, making her give a little flinch at the feeling. But Weiss stayed put - showing some extraordinary resolve while Ruby repeated the process over and over again, all while Weiss' eyes never left hers.

It wasn't long until Ruby couldn't find any more spots of soap, and only then did she set the cup down by her side and grin.

"Done!"

No sooner had the word left her mouth did Weiss leap out of the water. Racing away from the tub, she shook her entire body - spraying Ruby with water in the process.

"Hey!" she shouted, covering her face with her arms when Weiss shook a second time. " _I'm_ not the one supposed to get a bath!"

"Mrowwwww," Weiss complained while giving another shake, which only somewhat worked to un-mat her soaking fur. She looked pretty miserable at the moment - soaked and still very much a cat.

"Ok, ok - come here." Grabbing a towel from the hook, Ruby sat down on the edge of the tub and patted one of her legs. Given how horrible it must be to wear a coat of wet fur, Weiss willingly hopped up and stood on Ruby's legs.

"There," Ruby muttered, covering Weiss with the towel and gently rubbing the water away. "I'd use the hair dryer but…" Hearing a low rumble of protest, she laughed and dried off Weiss' ears. "But you probably wouldn't like that," she concluded.

For the next few minutes, she toweled off Weiss' fur while Weiss stood patiently on top of her legs. Maybe it was crazy, but this was almost...relaxing. Of course, she could see that Weiss didn't feel the same way, with her ears slightly flattened in discontent.

"I know what you're thinking..." Ruby whispered while she worked. "What if you're stuck like this forever? What if you're destined to spend the rest of your life as a cat?"

Removing the towel and finding that Weiss' fur was much drier than it was before, Ruby smiled when Weiss turned around to look up at her.

"Don't worry - I'll still love you. I'll be that crazy cat lady everyone talks about. I'll take you on walks and buy you all the best toys and stuff to play with!"

The idea wasn't as alarming as Ruby might've thought a few minutes earlier. Sure, she'd miss kissing Weiss 'good morning' and 'good afternoon' and 'good night.' She'd miss snuggling and cuddling and hugs and…

Yeah, she'd miss a whole lot, but this little cat was still Weiss! It had her eyes and personality and everything.

Standing on Ruby's knees, Weiss looked up at her for a long time before jumping down and walking to the door. Now that she was mostly dry, she had a bit of her cat-swagger back - and her tail swished with a tremendous amount of flair.

"Ready to see what's next?" Ruby asked.

"Meoww."

Taking that as a 'yes,' Ruby pulled the stopper to drain the tub and opened the door so Weiss could hurry into the hall. And, for as much as she probably hated this situation, she took advantage of her super-quick form to race down the stairs before Ruby made it to the landing.

By the time Ruby walked into the living room, Weiss was sitting on the coffee table and staring at the board game laid out in front of her.

"Can you read it?" Ruby asked, retaking her seat on the floor. When Weiss' response was to stare at the board like something might pop out at her, Ruby picked up the card she'd drawn before and found it was blank - just like the first one.

"Looks like we did it! Your good behavior was rewarded." Placing the used card in the discard pile, Ruby was about to reach for the die when she leaned back and set her hands in her lap instead.

"You know," she said, briefly pausing when blue eyes locked onto her. "I know you're probably really mad that I turned you into a cat 'n all, but this is actually kind of...nice."

When the long, white tail suddenly stopped swishing, Ruby hurried to explain herself.

"I mean, it just feels like you're always the one taking care of me - making sure I don't forget things and stuff - so it's nice that I can take care of you for once!" Hesitating for a second, Ruby looked into blue eyes - the ones that sent her to sleep each night and woke her every morning - and smiled.

"I like taking care of you. Because I love you...a lot."

For a long time, Weiss stared. And then she hopped down from the table, walked over, and stepped onto Ruby's lap. Spinning around once, she curled up into a circle and nuzzled her head underneath Ruby's hand.

Smiling at the loving gesture, Ruby tenderly ran her hand through soft, white fur and heard a quiet, happy rumble come from the creature curled up in her lap - the girl who loved Ruby just as much as Ruby loved her.

"Let's finish this game," Ruby whispered, petting Weiss all the while. Reaching out for the die with her free hand, she rolled it and then moved the token forward another three squares.

What she didn't say yet was that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Weiss. She wanted them to get married and do all the things happy couples did - like play crazy board games that turned one of them into a cat. But...that conversation was probably best saved for when one of them wasn't forced to communicate through meows.

* * *

"What do you want to do tonight?" Blake asked, settling into her regular spot on the sofa with a cup of tea in her hands.

Tapping a finger to her chin, Yang thought through their options. There was always Plan A -

"How 'bout we -" As soon as Yang winked, Blake rolled her eyes.

"Yang."

"Alright, alright," Yang acquiesced with a laugh. "Oh! Why don't we try that game Ruby loaned us? The one she won't stop talking about?"

Setting her cup on the coffee table, Blake shrugged.

"Sure. That sounds like fun."

"Cool!" Looking on the side of the sofa - where some magazines and a few other board games were stacked - Yang glanced at Blake when she didn't find the one she was looking for.

"Uh, where is it?"

"You put it somewhere," Blake replied.

"Yeah…"

"We could always lose it like they lost my book."

Yang laughed at the dry comment, shaking her head before looking under the sofa.

"You're never gonna let them forget that, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Aha!" Yang exclaimed when she found the box hidden underneath the sofa. Pulling it out, she removed the lid and pulled out the game board.

"Aww look at this cute fox!" she said, holding up the small, red carving. "Which one do you wanna be?"

"If I'm the pony, how many jokes will you make about riding me?"

Blushing at the question, Yang caught Blake's smirk and tried to think of a witty response.

"U-uh, I mean - probably just - once or twice?"

Shaking her head at the not-at-all-witty answer, Blake reached over and grabbed the black cat from the box instead. Briefly disappointed, the feeling disappeared when Yang spotted her token of choice.

"Yellow dragon!" she exclaimed, pulling the carving from the box and brandishing it for the world to see.

"Yang, that's a lizard."

Taking a closer look at the small figurine, Yang sat back on her heels.

"Oh. Well still! Pretty cool."

Placing her _dragon_ on the starting square, she grabbed the instructions next.

"Alright, let's see." Skimming the page, she searched for the most important rules. "Ok - something something, wild side. Something something box - ah, got it."

"Gotta roll to see who goes first," she said, picking up a blank white cube and tossing it onto the board. Two dots appeared on the side facing up, which she guessed meant she sucked at rolling dice.

"I bet you a night of fun that you get a six," she teased as Blake picked up the die. Letting out a soft huff, Blake rolled the die onto the board and…

"A six!" Yang called out. "Should we pack this up now or…?"

"I think it's best to play first," Blake replied with a small smile.

Sighing, Yang accepted that she'd have to wait and glanced at the next instruction. After finding something called a 'Box of Becoming' and setting it on the table, she grabbed a slip of paper and tiny pencil to complete her player-duties.

"'K, now I'll pick your animal and put it in the box," she explained to Blake. Tapping the pencil to her lip, she narrowed her eyes while staring at her extra-beautiful, poem-worthy girlfriend.

"Hmm…"

After a few moments of being intensely studied, Blake rolled her eyes and leaned back against the sofa.

"Should I get a book while you think of one?"

"I got it!" Yang said right at that moment. Scribbling the word onto the paper, she then stuck it into the box and picked up the instructions to see what happened next. While she read the next section, however, she heard a low, throaty growl come from across the table.

Lowering the instructions, she suddenly found herself looking into the large, amber eyes of a very big, very _real_ , panther.

Eyes widening at what was probably her imminent demise, she slowly stood up and backed away from the coffee table.

"Uh...Blake?" she whispered to the room while the beast looked at itself like it was confused about why it was sitting on a sofa.

Yang was confused too! Confused, but also wanting to get the hell out of here. She needed to find Blake though - where did Blake go?

Yang only made it a few feet away before the panther turned its fierce gaze to her - freezing her in place while it stood up. With graceful steps, it walked right over the coffee table and stalked towards her - head lowered, long tail swishing back and forth, those eyes never leaving her.

Unsure of what to do, Yang remained frozen while the creature approached. Then, in one swift movement, it pounced forward and slammed into her - a hundred pounds of ferocious feline knocking her right off her feet.

As soon as she hit the ground – briefly thankful they'd gone with the 'plush' carpet - she covered her face with her arms and waited for the attack that was never to come. After several seconds of waiting, she lowered her arms and found the creature standing over her - staring down at her while its tail swished back and forth in what she could only describe as amusement.

The next second, the panther leaned down and licked her cheek. Giggling at the sensation, she raised her hands when the panther licked her again.

"Blake?" she asked, earning another lick before the creature started nosing into her hair - warm, deep breaths tickling her until she laughed.

"This is the only time I'll ever say this," she giggled while a hearty rumble reached her ears. "But please don't eat me."


	21. The Cake is a Lie - WR

**Pairing: Ladybros (and White Rose)  
** **Summary: Ruby asks Blake for help planning a surprise for Weiss  
**

* * *

"And _then_ I jump through the window with the cake in my hands -" Pretending like she was holding a cake, Ruby did a little roll on the ground and popped back to her feet. "And yell 'surprise!' with everyone else!"

Having explained her master plan in full, Ruby excitedly waited for Blake's response - but for a few seconds, Blake just stared. When she stopped staring, she opened her mouth to say something, then paused and shook her head.

She was _speechless_ , which Ruby hoped was a good sign.

Blake sat back against the sofa, then sat forward and put her elbows on her knees - her eyes never leaving Ruby.

"You're going to jump through a window... _while_ holding a cake?"

"Yeah! Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Sure…" Tapping her fingers on her leg, Blake opened and closed her mouth a couple times before speaking again.

" _After_ the trained tiger delivers the gifts?"

"Yeah!" Ruby replied, beaming at Blake's remembrance of the elaborate plan she'd spilled over the past fifteen minutes.

It was going to be big. It was going to be epic. It was going to be the _best_ party in the history of parties (at least, in the history of parties planned by Ruby).

"Do you think that maybe this is too...ambitious?" Blake finally asked. Her expression was gentle, like she was afraid of hurting Ruby's feelings, but Ruby didn't feel hurt at all!

"It is!" she agreed. "That's why I need your help - between the two of us, I'm sure we can do anything!"

"Well…" Leaning back, Blake looked both flattered and amused by Ruby's desperate request for help. "We can try. Honestly though, this seems like something Weiss should plan."

"But Weiss can't plan it! The party is _for_ her!"

In just a few weeks, the second best day of the year would arrive - Weiss' birthday! Of course, Weiss didn't like to celebrate her birthday as much as she liked celebrating Ruby's, but that was going to change! This year, Ruby planned a super elaborate, awesome party for Weiss, so she could enjoy her birthday as much as Ruby always did.

"Ok, so without Weiss' organization and planning skills, social connections, or wallet, you want to plan this huge surprise party - and you want my help."

When Blake gave Ruby a look that requested a confirmation, she nodded.

"That's exactly it!"

Even though Blake chuckled and shook her head, Ruby knew that she would help - because Blake always agreed to help. Even if the problem was stupid or small, Blake would help Ruby fix it - which made her the best sister-in-law ever! Plus, a really great friend.

"Then we have a lot of work to do," Blake said, reaching out for the notebook that held Ruby's plans.

"Yes!" Pumping her fist and moving into 'birthday-planning' mode, Ruby paced the living room floor while Blake flipped through the ideas in the book. "Ok, so first we...we...what should we do first?"

Closing the notebook and setting it back on the table, Blake smiled.

"First, we need to teach you how to lie."

That response was _not at all_ what Ruby expected, and her expression probably said as much.

"Uh, what?"

"Even if we _can_ find a trained tiger and a few trapeze artists," Blake explained, waving towards the notebook. "It won't matter if you can't keep this a secret from Weiss."

"I can keep it a secret!" When Blake gave Ruby a look of disbelief, Ruby raised both hands. "What? I totally can! I keep secrets from her all the time!"

"Do you really?" Blake asked, raising her brow.

Having been called on the bluff, Ruby immediately dropped the act.

"No...but I can if I need to!"

The response made Blake lean back on the sofa and laugh, looking more than a little entertained at the idea that Ruby could keep a secret from Weiss.

"I've watched you try," Blake added, leveling Ruby with a steady stare. "You get nervous, and she sees right through you."

Even though Ruby wanted to argue, she felt her nerves rising the longer Blake looked at her. And the more nervous she got, the more she wanted to spill all the thoughts running through her mind right now. So, instead of arguing, she averted her eyes and ran a hand through her hair.

"But then...how do I keep this a surprise?"

"You need to learn how to lie," Blake repeated, looking way too casual about using such a strong word.

"But I don't want to lie to Weiss!"

"Then what will you say when she asks you if you're planning a surprise party for her?"

While Blake waited for an answer, Ruby thought through her options. She wanted the party to be a surprise because that's part of what made them so much fun! Not expecting anything special, then _surprise!_ Something special happens. To Ruby, it was an awesome moment when her friends and family jumped out of nowhere - with cakes and presents in hand. If she wanted Weiss to experience that feeling too, she needed to keep this a secret.

"I guess...it's not bad if it's for a good reason, right?"

"You don't have to outright lie," Blake replied. "Not that I think you could - but you can cause distractions -"

"Like by falling down and stuff?"

For a split second, Blake _really_ looked like she wanted to say 'yes,' but she shook her head instead.

"No, not by falling down, but by changing the subject. When she asks what you're doing, you need to change the subject - _convincingly_."

"Ok...but how?"

"Easy. Reply to her question with a question of your own - but it needs to be somewhat related to the topic at hand."

Pausing for a second, Ruby tried to wrap her head around what Blake was teaching her.

"So…you mean..."

"If she asks you what you're looking at cakes for, ask her when she last had an ice cream cake."

When the idea of ice cream cake made Ruby smile, Blake carried on. "You know what I mean - that was just an example."

"I think I get it!" Ruby replied with several nods. "And ice cream cake sounds like a great idea! I'm adding that to the list."

Grabbing the notebook and a pen, Ruby added 'ice cream cake' to her growing list of ideas. While she did that, she heard the unmistakable sound of a key in the front door - which meant Weiss just got home.

Ruby quickly closed the notebook and slid it under the sofa before waving her hands at Blake - who only looked amused by the gesture - and scrambling to think of a topic they could discuss with Weiss around.

"Have you heard about that new tree fungus?" Ruby asked, raising her voice so it would carry into the entryway. "That one covering all those trees in the park?"

When Blake didn't immediately reply, Ruby glanced her way - and then Blake shook her head.

"No, I haven't."

"Well it's super gross!" When Blake shook her head again - this time looking a bit incredulous - Ruby's attention went back to the entryway as Weiss walked inside and hung her bag by the door. As usual, just _seeing_ Weiss made Ruby's heart do happy loops and spins in her chest. She loved when Weiss got home from work!

"Weiss!" Ruby called out, hurrying over and meeting Weiss just inside the doorway to the living room. She gave Weiss a kiss before stepping away with a smile that probably wouldn't leave for the rest of the night. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too," Weiss whispered before turning to acknowledge their company. "Hi Blake - were you two just discussing fungus?"

"Ruby's choice," Blake replied, smiling when Weiss shook her head and gave Ruby an affectionate smile.

"I would expect nothing else."

"We were just hanging out!" Ruby explained. The answer was technically true, but as soon as she remembered the pieces of information she was leaving out, her nerves appeared. "Talking and stuff," she added. "Just chilling."

She glanced at Blake to see how she was doing, but Blake was watching Weiss - and Weiss was looking at Ruby a little more curiously now.

"'Just chilling?'" Weiss repeated. She glanced at Blake - who shrugged and looked disinterested in the conversation - before turning back to Ruby. And then her brow creased with interest - a bad sign. A very bad sign.

"What else were you two talking about?" Weiss asked, moving closer to Ruby as she spoke. "Besides tree fungus, I mean."

The closer Weiss got, the more nervous Ruby became. On a _good_ day, it was hard to function with Weiss nearby - she was really pretty and Ruby loved her so much! But today it was even harder to concentrate because she was hiding something, and - she needed to remember Blake's advice! Cause a distraction!

"U-uh, like...well, tigers," Ruby stuttered, not quite able to remember Blake's teachings. But Weiss smiled at the answer, and Ruby automatically smiled in return - maybe she was onto something here.

Then Weiss reached out and touched Ruby's elbow, and her nerves quadrupled, and she realized she was onto nothing. She couldn't think when Weiss touched her. Even if they were just holding hands! It was so distracting.

"Tigers?" Weiss repeated. "That sounds interesting."

"Yeah! And uh, and cake!" Ruby said when she remembered the most important part of any birthday party.

"That doesn't surprise me," Weiss said with a soft laugh. Withdrawing her arm from Ruby's, she _nearly_ turned away.

But she didn't. Mid-turn, she froze and then looked back at Ruby.

"Cake?"

"The different types of cake she enjoys," Blake added, coming to Ruby's aid with a plausible explanation. "I think you decided chocolate was your favorite?"

"Yeah!" Grasping onto the lifeline, Ruby tried to pull herself out of the whirlpool that was Weiss' proximity. "Chocolate's my favorite. For now, at least."

"So nothing's changed," Weiss replied, sending a quick look at Blake.

Ruby could tell - she could just _tell_ that Weiss knew something was up. She was too smart not to notice when things were weird - and she knew Ruby way too well. It was only a matter of time before...

"You wouldn't be talking about cake for any other reason, would you?" Weiss finally came right out and asked, carefully watching Ruby for her answer.

This was it - this was Ruby's opportunity to throw Weiss off the trail. All she needed was a question…

"Think we can get cake tonight?" she asked with a nervous laugh, subtly wiping her sweaty palms on her pants.

For the _longest_ time, Weiss studied Ruby - their eyes locked together while the room got really, really hot - until she finally relaxed into a smile.

"Sure. If that will make you happy."

With that smile set in place, Weiss looked at Blake - who smiled at both of them.

And Ruby felt _horrible._ She just lied to Weiss! And Weiss believed her! Not only that, but Weiss was going to get her cake for dinner - cake that she didn't deserve. How could she possibly eat it when it was all of Weiss' kind and thoughtful feelings baked into a delicious chocolate form? And Ruby _lied_ to get it.

"I'm planning a surprise party for you!" Ruby confessed, unable to bear the guilt any longer.

The room stood still for a second while the words hung in the air. Then Weiss turned around - her eyes wide.

"What?"

"I'm planning a surprise party for you," Ruby repeated, holding Weiss' gaze and silently begging forgiveness for her dishonesty. "I asked Blake to help me, that's why she came over."

For what felt like an eternity, Weiss stared at Ruby - confusion and surprise in her eyes - but they both turned to the side when Blake abruptly stood from the sofa.

"Looks like I'm not needed anymore," she said, giving them both a smile before walking towards the front door. "I'll let myself out. Good luck, Ruby."

"Sorry, Blake!" Ruby called after the girl, who merely waved over her shoulder before heading outside. Left alone, Ruby turned back to Weiss - who still looked...well, now she looked kind of smug.

"A surprise party, huh?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"It's your birthday soon," Ruby explained. "I wanted to make it special - like how you always plan a big party for me!"

With a soft sigh, Weiss unfolded her arms and reached up to brush several strands of hair out of Ruby's eyes.

"That's very sweet of you," she whispered before leaning forward and giving Ruby a kiss. "Why does it have to be a surprise though?"

"Well it's not anymore…." Feeling immensely better now that she was back to being honest, Ruby shrugged. "I just thought it'd be more special that way."

"The fact that you're planning something for me is special enough," Weiss replied, smiling as she reached out to hold both of Ruby's hands. "Why don't you tell me your plans, and I'll help you put it together?"

Ruby's dreams of an awesome party for Weiss had been slipping away, but Weiss brought them back to life with that single question.

"Really?" Ruby asked, bouncing on her toes while her excitement returned.

"Yes. You know I love organizing events. This way, the planning process will be part of my present."

Squeezing Weiss' hands, Ruby leaned forward and kissed her again. This was why she ran all her ideas by Weiss first - so Weiss could make them even better!

"Then we can plan your birthday party together?" Ruby asked, hopping excitedly when Weiss nodded. "That sounds like so much fun! Ok first - how do you feel about tigers?"

"Pretty sure I'm allergic to them - why?"

Her eyes widening at the answer, Ruby shook her head and thanked the stars they were planning this together.

"N-no reason! Just a random question!"


	22. Being There - WR

**Pairing: White Rose (ish)  
** **Summary: After the events of V5, Weiss needs to help Ruby sort through the unforeseen aftereffects.**

* * *

It was like being back at school.

That's the first thought Weiss had when they were shown their quarters for the night - a tiny room with four beds magically crammed into it. The cramped living space had been a shock at Beacon, but tonight it felt...comfortable - like coming home after a long, grueling trip abroad.

The trip had changed her, but changed each of her teammates as well. What she wouldn't give to go back to those days at Beacon, where they were carefree and naive. Looking back on it, it felt almost criminal the amount of fun and teasing they had before everything fell apart. Now...

Now their scars, which were well-hidden from the outside world, were visible to each other. While they should take comfort in being back in each other's presence - in being back in this familiar setting - they were more uncomfortable than anything else.

On one side of the room, Blake and Yang made mindless chit chat - the conversation carrying such long pauses that they might make it through a mere hundred words in several hours. They touched no topic deeper than the weather or the food they'd eaten for dinner, even though they both wanted to say the words they'd held inside for so long.

Weiss still held hope they would figure this out on their own. She'd get involved if she needed to, but for now...

For now, Ruby was a far greater priority.

They all saw what Ruby was doing - diligently drawing diagrams and strategies that steadily filled a notebook - but, again, that's only what the outside world saw. Everyone else saw a huntress dissecting and honing her craft - figuring out what went wrong, what went right. It was smart behavior. It was prudent behavior.

But, here in this room, they saw a spiral - an obsessive ' _dedication_ ' that would never stop. A ' _commitment_ ' that would never end.

If Yang was in a better place right now, Weiss was confident that she'd immediately address the spiral Ruby was throwing herself into. But Yang had already been through too much - between her arm, her mom, the battles, and now Blake. She needed time to recuperate. They all did but...Yang especially so.

"I'm gonna try this out!"

Tucking the notebook underneath one arm and grabbing Crescent Rose, Ruby flew through the door before anyone could respond. Yang's eyes followed her - uneasy and concerned, but too tired to speak up. Blake sighed and stared down at her hands - knowing all-too-well the path Ruby was on, but knowing all-too-well that she was the last one who could stop it.

But Weiss...Weiss stood up and followed. She caught the flash of gratitude in Yang's eyes as she left the room behind, but gratitude was unnecessary. Ruby was her partner, and it was her job to take care of her partner.

Stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind her, Weiss' first task was figuring out where Ruby went. Thankfully, her haste left a trail behind - a scattering of rose petals leading outside.

"Really, Ruby?" Weiss muttered to herself while following the path set out in front of her - her eyes trained to the ground as she moved from one rose petal from the next.

Finding an empty practice room was one thing, but going outside after dark was another. Just because the battle was temporarily over, they weren't safe - not by a long shot. Who knew what dangers still lurked out of view, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack? Yet Ruby headed outside by herself - not even telling anyone where she was going?

Once upon a time, Weiss would've chided Ruby for her lack of awareness - assuming she was too immature or too short-sighted to see the dangers in her actions. Tonight, however, Weiss understood that Ruby was perfectly capable of assessing the risks in a situation. But she was choosing to ignore them, being far more focused on the task at hand.

When the trail of petals ended, Weiss found herself at the edge of a wide courtyard paved with large bricks. There wasn't much else to the space outside of several benches placed around the circular area - well, there wasn't much outside of the benches and Ruby.

Her headstart had been a few minutes at the most, but Ruby was already in the midst of a full-fledged training session. Petals flew across the courtyard while she called upon her semblance again and again - the speed and frequency making Weiss feel tired just watching.

They'd just fought the battle of their lives. They'd nearly lost their lives. And here Ruby was - exhausting the rest of her energy in the pursuit of perfection.

Being so preoccupied in her quest, Ruby didn't notice Weiss as she snuck around the edge of the courtyard watching Ruby at work.

After blazing through several complicated maneuvers, Ruby stopped and looked at the notebook laying open on the ground in the middle of the courtyard. Mumbling to herself, she wrote down a few notes before staring down at the page - lost in thought. Finally, she wiped her brow and blitzed into the next set of motions.

The sight made Weiss' heart ache.

Ruby was pushing herself too hard. Too far. At this rate, there would never be a break - there would only be work, work, and more work until the day everlasting rest was forced upon her.

When Ruby accidentally dropped Crescent Rose and the weapon skidded across the courtyard - Weiss decided she'd seen enough.

This wasn't Ruby's fault. This wasn't Ruby's war. But no one would know that by looking at her right now - this was a girl carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Picking up her weapon with a heavy sigh, Ruby flexed her left hand before straightening her posture and spooling her semblance to start again. Right as she did so, however, Weiss summoned a glyph in front of her - a deterrent that stopped her in her tracks.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked, spinning in a circle before spotting Weiss at the edge of the courtyard. "What are you doing?"

"I should be asking you that," Weiss replied. Walking over, she sensed the reticence in Ruby's posture.

Ruby wanted to be alone right now, but tough. Beacon didn't assign partners so they could be _alone_. Being alone was what drove them to this place - this place where good enough was never good enough.

"I'm practicing," Ruby answered, waving towards the notebook. "We always need more practice!"

Weiss wished that Ruby's smile was the same as when they'd first met - when they first became friends - but it wasn't.

Weiss was going to have to do this the hard way - that was the only way Ruby might listen…

"Then by all means." Stepping away, Weiss waved towards the courtyard so Ruby would continue.

After giving Weiss a suspicious look, Ruby decided to do just that. She took off with her semblance - only to skid to a stop when another glyph appeared in her path.

"Weiss!"

"What?" Weiss asked. "Can't I practice too?"

Grumbling under her breath, Ruby spun on her heel and took off in the opposite direction - and slammed on the brakes when another glyph halted her progress. This time, however, she instantly changed direction and sped the other way, but found another obstacle in her path.

"Weiss, what are you doing?" she finally complained, turning to Weiss with a frown.

With Ruby's full attention now, Weiss summoned a ring of glyphs surrounding the courtyard. Next, she walked over to Ruby - bringing the glyphs closer and closer as she walked, trapping the two of them in a shrinking space.

"I'm stopping you," she answered when she reached Ruby, a wall of glyphs surrounding them on all sides. When Ruby looked up, Weiss quickly sealed off the air above them so Ruby couldn't escape.

"I'm just practicing," Ruby said.

"And I'm just stopping you," Weiss answered.

"But why? We need to practice!"

"In the middle of the night?"

" _Yes!_ " Growing more exasperated, Ruby paced what little room she had, lightly swinging Crescent Rose while she did so. "You saw what happened. You saw what we're up against. We need to be better - a _lot_ better - and fast."

"So you're not going to sleep?" Weiss asked, watching Ruby walk back and forth in front of her.

"We don't have time to sleep…"

Sighing at the response, Weiss shook her head and silently begged Ruby to look at her instead of pacing like a tiger in a cage.

"We need to be better, yes," she agreed, waiting for Ruby to nod before continuing. "But we _also_ need to take care of ourselves."

"That's what I'm doing!" Ruby said, knocking Crescent Rose into one of the glyphs and letting it spring back towards her.

"Ruby…"

"I need to be better." Finally meeting Weiss' eyes, Ruby looked resolute and determined - unwilling to concede. "So that I can protect you. And Yang. And...everyone. I can't fail again."

When Ruby swung Crescent Rose into another glyph - this time with more force than before - Weiss shook her head.

"Exactly," she whispered. "We need you."

"What?"

"We need you!" Weiss shouted, hearing an edge of desperation in her voice - desperation caused by the feeling that Ruby was slipping away from her. She couldn't let Ruby slip away. She couldn't let Ruby continue on this path of self-destruction - not without trying to stop it.

The words finally had an impact though. Ruby stopped pacing and lowered Crescent Rose. Her eyes filled with concern when she met Weiss' gaze - the same concern that made her so prone to accepting too much responsibility for those around her.

"We need you," Weiss repeated, her emotions bubbling up in her chest while she felt the none-too pleasant sting of tears in her eyes.

"But that means we need you to rest," she continued, struggling to keep the tears out of her voice. "We need you to sleep, and eat, and take care of yourself. Because there's another battle coming, and we need you to be ready."

Over the next several seconds, Weiss watched a series of emotions flit through Ruby's eyes - worry...sadness...fear - all of the emotions they bottled up and held inside, hoping to deal with at a later time.

Reaching out, Weiss took Crescent Rose from Ruby's hands and gently placed the weapon on the ground. Next, she wrapped her arms around Ruby's shoulders and pulled the girl close.

"I'm scared too, Ruby," she whispered, struggling to keep the tears at bay. "But if we work ourselves to exhaustion...we'll have nothing left to fight with."

When Ruby's arms slowly wrapped around her in return, Weiss felt a wave of relief wash through her. She'd finally reached Ruby - the sweet, kind girl who just wanted everyone to be happy - and talked her away from the precipice, at least for tonight.

"I'm sorry…" Ruby whispered, her voice filled remorse. And when her shoulders shook with tears, Weiss hugged her closer.

"It's ok, Ruby. Just know...that I'm here for you."

When sniffles were added to the outpour of emotions from the girl in her arms - one of the most talented huntresses she'd ever seen, and a beacon of light through these dark times - Weiss closed her eyes and felt a tear slip out.

Ruby was too young, innocent, and caring to have been thrown into this mess. She didn't deserve to feel this way - to suffer this way. None of them did, but especially not Ruby…

Releasing her glyphs - leaving them standing alone in the middle of the courtyard - Weiss hugged Ruby for as long as she needed. Because that's the only thing Weiss could do right now - she could only be there for Ruby. No matter when or how she was needed, she would be there.

That's the only way they'd get through this. Not by being perfect, but by being there for each other.


	23. Spending the Night - Freezerbros

**Pairing: Freezerbros  
** **Summary: Weiss needs help deciphering a certain text...**

* * *

There were few things better than the silence and tranquility of an empty dorm room.

At least, that was Weiss' belief as she used the quiet moment to catch up on some long-overdue studying. Beacon's curriculum wasn't altogether challenging, but the sheer volume of work and responsibilities thrown their way made time management crucial. That was why, in these brief pauses, she called upon her utmost concentration to get as much done as possible. It wouldn't be long before -

A message arrived on her scroll, the soft chime cutting through her focus and immediately drawing her attention away from the chapter she'd been reading.

It used to be that she was excellent at ignoring messages on her scroll, but these days she found that much more difficult to do. Mostly because...she kind of liked the people messaging her now.

And when she saw the name on the screen, she smiled.

Discarding her textbook on the bed beside her, she picked up her scroll and said a silent thanks that Yang wasn't around to witness the smile. Weiss hadn't realized she did it until Yang (gleefully) pointed it out a while ago, but it wasn't something that could be helped - whenever Ruby sent Weiss a message, she smiled.

Opening the message, she read the words and -

And then read them again.

And then a third time, while her eyes widened and her heart started drumming in her chest.

' _Yang and Blake are gonna be out tonight - maybe we can...spend the night together?'_

Quickly deciding it was time for a study break, Weiss stared at her scroll and tried to decipher the words. Technically, by virtue of the two of them living in the same dorm room, she and Ruby spent _every_ night together. Yang and Blake's absence wouldn't change that, but it meant that Weiss and Ruby would have the room to themselves - for the entire night.

Now, Weiss wasn't a complete idiot when it came to romance. Sure, it took her far too long to admit her feelings for Ruby, but she wasn't utterly unaware. She was familiar with the colloquialism of 'spending the night together,' especially when used between two romantic partners. But Ruby couldn't possibly mean it _that_ way...could she?

When the door suddenly opened, Weiss dropped her scroll beside her and picked up her textbook instead - determined to appear studious in case Ruby was back early. When Yang walked inside, however, Weiss relaxed and set the book down in her lap.

"Hey Weiss!"

"Hi Yang," Weiss replied, watching her teammate casually flop down on Blake's bed. "How was the gym?"

"Oh, you know - same old."

"Destroying punching bags for fun?"

"Exactly."

Chuckling at the considerable expense she was racking up for the school, Yang looked at the textbook in Weiss' lap.

"What're you up to? Studying?"

The questions sent Weiss' mind snapping back to the message on her scroll - a message with several possible meanings, but only one that made her heart beat faster while a blush crept up her cheeks.

"Yes."

Opening the book, Weiss hoped Yang would take the hint and stop talking.

Thankfully, Yang was better at taking hints these days. With a nod, she left Weiss alone and picked up a magazine, which she started reading on Blake's bed. Meanwhile, Weiss looked at the book but didn't read a single word. Instead, she thought about the message still waiting for a response on her scroll.

' _Maybe we can...spend the night together?'_

She needed to respond soon so that Ruby wouldn't think the message was being ignored, but what was she supposed to say? The easiest answer might be a simple 'yes,' but what exactly was she saying 'yes' to? If it was what she thought it was, she needed more time to mentally prepare herself for...that next step in their relationship.

After an appropriate amount of time passed, Weiss flipped to the next page so Yang wouldn't realize she wasn't studying.

It wasn't like she had no desire to...do that. That wasn't the issue at all. She had _plenty_ of desire. What she lacked, however, was experience. And that made her...she didn't want to say nervous, but...anxious? Uncomfortable with the unfamiliar? She needed to do more research and prepare for that possibility, but she also needed to respond soon.

When Yang flipped the page of her magazine, Weiss glanced her way.

There were two people on this team with plenty of experience in this particular field - which Weiss had discovered through the unfortunate 'door wasn't locked' incident several months back - and one of them was Yang.

While Weiss would rather ask Blake, given that Blake wasn't directly related to Ruby, she didn't really have that option right now. Plus, Yang had been fine hearing about Ruby's first kiss, even though Weiss gushed about it for what felt like hours. Was it possible she'd be ok with this too? Technically, nothing had even happened yet. Weiss was only seeking advice on how to best...interact in a very intimate fashion...with Yang's little sister.

No, that was too weird.

"Uh...why're you staring at me?"

"No reason."

Weiss flipped another page of her book - as if she actually read it - but Yang closed her magazine and tossed it onto Blake's pillow.

"What's up?" she asked, leaning forward and putting her elbows on her legs.

Yang's expression right now was one of those that said 'you can tell me anything.' It was the 'mom face,' as the rest of them jokingly called it - the expression that made anyone believe they could trust Yang with anything. No matter what it was, she was on their side and willing to help.

Weiss certainly needed help. And who would she rather embarrass herself with - Yang or Ruby? Considering that Ruby was requesting a very intimate and...vulnerable...experience, Weiss was very much inclined to avoid as much embarrassment there as possible. Plus, Yang already teased her about Ruby enough as it was - this would just provide some new ammunition for a few weeks.

"You and Blake have been...intimate...for a while," Weiss said, watched Yang grin and lean back.

"Pretty sure you already knew that."

Wishing away the blush on her cheeks, Weiss cleared her throat and continued.

"The first time though - how did you...or did you, like - discuss it? Beforehand?"

When Yang's grin widened, Weiss felt her cheeks heating up towards dangerous levels of red.

"You mean did I ask her if she wanted to do it?"

 _Of course_ Yang was crass and unbashful with this topic. The first time she and Blake 'spent the night together,' she lost much of her ability to feel shame - and apparently shame wasn't something that grew back over time.

"Yes," Weiss replied regardless. "Did you ask?"

"What makes you think I'm the one who asked?"

When Yang winked, Weiss blinked in surprise.

"You didn't? I just thought -"

"That I'm so desperate for her attention, of course I'm the one who initiated?"

"Well…"

Yang laughed at the non-answer, seeming amused rather than bothered by the assumption.

"To be fair, she asked me about five seconds before I would've begged her," Yang elaborated, again prone to divulging too much rather than too little information. "There wasn't much discussion though, it was just...a natural progression."

A natural progression...was that what this was? After spending so much time together, had Weiss and Ruby reached the point where it was natural to want to take things to step further? Natural enough that Ruby, of all people, was the one suggesting it?

Although, wasn't it always Ruby who pushed their relationship forward? Wasn't she the one who initiated their first kiss? First time holding hands in public? First time snuggling while watching a movie?

Come to think of it, it was Ruby leading them through all the phases of a typical relationship - why would this be any different?

"Why are you asking?" Yang asked, her eyes never leaving Weiss, and a little smile never leaving her lips. Knowing Yang, she'd probably already guessed what this was all about, but was giving Weiss the opportunity to put it into her own words.

"Ruby…" The admission made Yang grin, but Weiss pushed through her growing embarrassment. Ruby couldn't be the only one leading them forward - Weiss should be, and _could_ be, an equal member of their relationship.

"I think Ruby's been...thinking about it," Weiss managed to say. "And I'm just - a bit unsure of how to...move forward."

"Are you asking me for sex tips, Weiss?" The word instantly set Weiss' cheeks ablaze, but Yang just laughed. "Cuz I dunno if you wanna treat Ruby like Blake."

"No," Weiss quickly replied, shaking her head and praying for Yang to stop talking. "Not at all! I was just wondering how to...how to let her know that...I'm not opposed to it."

"I _knew_ you wanted to sleep with her!"

"Well…"

Weiss wanted to say something witty or sarcastic in response, but her mind failed her. The only words she could think to say went along the lines of 'well, of course,' but she wasn't going to tell that to Yang - at least, not right now.

"This is easy," Yang added. "Especially for you."

"What do you mean 'especially' for me?"

"You like to talk things out, right?" Yang explained, looking rather excited now. "So that's all you've gotta do! Message her and say you want to talk, then tell her you wanna _do_ _the do._ "

"Yang!"

"What?" Even though Weiss glared at her, Yang looked entirely too pleased with the situation. "You're the talker, so talk!"

Weiss couldn't tell if Yang was being annoying on purpose, but she did have a point. Weiss _was_ the talker - in the sense that she was prone to discussing plans and feelings. 'Discussing' but also...over-analyzing. If she sat down with Ruby, she could get a better sense of what exactly Ruby was ready for, and see if their desires matched.

She really hoped that they _were_ on the same page, but she was willing to do whatever Ruby was comfortable with. Even if Ruby was comfortable with...everything.

"I suppose…"

"You can do it, Weiss," Yang added with a genuine smile. "Ruby adores you, and you'd better adore her. Plus, you guys have been kissing _way_ more often recently - I seriously have no idea how you have the self-control."

"We aren't animals," Weiss retorted, but Yang merely shrugged.

"So will you message her?"

Glancing at her scroll, Weiss sighed and finally picked it up. The message from Ruby was the first thing on the screen after she unlocked it - still waiting for an answer. Ruby had already broached the conversation, now it was up to Weiss to respond in a way that kept the idea alive.

"What do I even say?" she asked, waving the device through the air.

"Well don't do it via text…"

"Of course not. But how do I tell her I'm...amenable to it?"

"Uh, just like that?"

"Right..." Staring at the message, Weiss allowed her fingers to hover over the screen while she struggled to find words.

"You know she really likes you, right?" Yang added. Weiss immediately looked up from her scroll and felt her heart skip in her chest.

"Really?"

" _Yes_ , Weiss," Yang said with a soft laugh. "You're all she ever talks about, and at least five times a day I have to hear about how attractive she thinks you are."

As a warm glow spread from her heart through her veins, Weiss looked at her scroll and smiled. She thought the same about Ruby, though it was Blake who often suffered through her gushing about how amazing Ruby was. And maybe, in that case, this shouldn't be as intimidating as Weiss was making it.

Taking a deep breath and looking at her scroll, she slowly typed out the words, ' _Yes, but let's talk when you get back'_ before pressing send.

As soon as the message disappeared from the screen, however, a soft chime rang out from across the room - and the grin fell right off of Yang's face.

"What was that?" Weiss asked, her brow furrowing and her suspicions growing when Yang shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"Uh, nothing."

"Yang."

"Oh, that sound?" Chuckling nervously, Yang reached into her back pocket and pulled out a scroll. She then looked at it in surprise, as if she had no idea it was in her pocket this entire time. "Would you look at that - Ruby must've left her scroll with me by mistake."

When Yang smiled innocently, Weiss stared. For a few long seconds, she couldn't believe what her mind was trying to tell her.

That was Ruby's scroll in Yang's hand. Yang was holding Ruby's scroll. And Ruby's scroll was the one that sent Weiss the message that started all of this.

Folding her arms across her chest, Weiss gave Yang an expression that should clearly say 'I know what you did, and here's how happy I am about it.'

"You have three seconds to run."

Dropping the scroll on Blake's bed, Yang tore out of the room like her pants were on fire, not bothering to close the door while the sound of her laughter floated down the hall.

If Weiss hadn't been mortally embarrassed before, she certainly was now. All that worrying about not being ready...turning to Yang, of all people, for encouragement...and the message wasn't even from Ruby, to begin with.

It wasn't until a sigh slipped past Weiss' lips, however, that she realized she was disappointed. She was seriously annoyed with Yang, but also...disappointed.

Apparently, she was more prepared for this next step than she anticipated. Or maybe Yang's pep talk was more effective than expected. Either way, now Weiss wished that Ruby _had_ brought up the conversation…

But, just because Ruby hadn't didn't mean that Weiss couldn't.

Picking up Ruby's scroll and unlocking it (this was why Weiss told her to change her passwords more frequently…), Weiss deleted the last two messages to erase evidence of Yang's crime. After walking back to her bed and sitting down, she found her own scroll and typed a new message that Ruby would get when she returned from practice.

' _There's something I'd like to discuss with you tonight - just the two of us.'_


	24. Perfect Pancakes - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: Weiss makes pancakes for Ruby**

* * *

Something...wasn't quite right.

That was the best way Weiss could describe the plate sitting in front of her, which was _supposed_ to be piled high with delicious, fluffy pancakes. What was once sticky, off-white batter should now be golden and...well, they should look at least remotely similar to the pancakes Yang made at least once a month.

Where did Weiss go wrong?

Spatula still in hand, she stared at the instructions on her scroll - not that she needed to. She'd read the recipe so many times, she had it memorized by now.

After following the directions _exactly_ as they were spelled out, how had her version of this common breakfast food turned out less 'golden' and more...browned to the point of nearly being burned? And why weren't they perfect circles like Yang's were? There weren't specific instructions on how to drop the batter into the pan, but Weiss assumed she could at least do _that_ much on her own.

"'It's easy,'" she mimicked in Yang's voice while scrolling through the instructions one more time. "'Just follow the recipe. Anyone can make them.'"

Apparently, Weiss wasn't just 'anyone' - something she'd always assumed yet interpreted in a much more positive manner.

She was Weiss Schnee. She was capable of anything she put her mind to. Nothing was outside her realm of expertise, not when she would train and study harder than anyone else to succeed. At least, that's what she thought before this morning.

Sticking a fork into one of the 'pancakes' - which crunched as a bit of burned crust broke off - she held it up in the air and gave it a sniff. Even the smell was off. There was no buttery, floury scent. Instead, it smelled like...frying pan.

A part of her thought that Yang switched the recipe or gave her the wrong directions on purpose, because that was something Yang would find funny. However, the majority of her knew that wasn't the case (in this instance). When she asked for the recipe, she made sure to let Yang know it was important to her. As their friendship had grown closer, Weiss understood that Yang was one of the most supportive people on the planet when she knew the importance behind a request.

Which meant this recipe was correct, and Weiss was the one who messed it up.

Unfortunately, she didn't have time to start over. She'd been so (wrongfully) confident in her cooking abilities that she left herself no margin for error. In hindsight, that was a monumental mistake. Sure, a five-step process looked woefully elementary compared to some of the coursework they were assigned, but she underestimated the severe lack of her cooking knowledge. Starting from zero, she would never make it to one hundred in a single attempt, and now -

The door burst open, throwing a gust of red petals into the small kitchen as Ruby raced inside.

"Good morning!" Ruby chirped, her grin lighting up Weiss' morning regardless of the circumstances.

"Good morning, Ruby."

Dropping Crescent Rose near the table, Ruby lifted her nose in the air and sniffed.

"Hey, that smells fantastic! What'd you make?"

Glancing at the rather sad attempt at breakfast sitting on the counter behind her, Weiss thought for a second that she might just order food instead. But she'd invited Ruby here this morning under the very express words of 'I'd like to cook breakfast for you.' It would be suspicious if she did a complete about-face and ordered breakfast rather than present her failed attempt at cooking.

Why was she trying so hard? Sure, Ruby loved food in general, and homemade food in particular. Sure, when she ate pancakes for breakfast, she was so happy that it made Weiss' heart stutter in her chest. And sure, maybe Weiss selfishly wanted to be the cause of Ruby's happiness. But this time she'd severely overreached her means and potentially made a fool of herself.

"I...well, I tried to make pancakes," she admitted, picking up the plate and setting it on the table. Ruby looked at them - for an instant appearing more curious than anything else - but then she broke into a huge smile.

"You're the best!"

In a burst of petals, Ruby reached Weiss' side and pulled her into a tight hug - nuzzling into her hair in a way that made her heart swoon - before racing back to the table.

"I'm so hungry too," Ruby added while piling pancakes onto the second plate Weiss had set out for her. "I was trying out some new stuff this morning - I have a bunch to show you later!"

Without a second thought about the pancakes' appearance, Ruby drowned them in her usual amount of syrup and started eating.

"Mmm! These are perfect after training." Taking another bite, Ruby wore a thoughtful expression before swallowing. "They'd actually be perfect after _anything_."

While Ruby demolished her food, Weiss sat down and watched - her brow furrowed as she tried to determine whether or not Ruby was telling the truth.

Well, she already _knew_ Ruby was telling the truth because Ruby couldn't lie if her life depended on it. But how could she think these were perfect? Clearly, they weren't. Weiss would readily admit that, so why wouldn't Ruby?

"Are you going to have some?"

When Ruby pushed the plate closer, Weiss shook her head.

"I already ate, but thank you."

"More grapefruits?" Ruby teased while taking the rest of the pancakes and adding them to her pool of syrup.

"Just _one_ grapefruit," Weiss replied, her consternation growing when Ruby set in on the second-helping of pancakes with gusto.

"Are they really ok?" she finally asked.

"What?"

When Weiss nodded towards the plate, Ruby looked down in surprise.

"Of course they are! They're awesome!"

"But they're burned."

Shrugging, Ruby looked at Weiss and grinned.

"A little bit, but I don't think that's bad."

"And they're lumpy," Weiss pointed out, feeling slightly incredulous that Ruby wasn't seeing all the flaws. "They're not even round - you can hardly even _call_ them pancakes."

"And that's not a bad thing!"

After the two of them stared at each other for a few minutes - neither willing to concede to the other, Ruby set her fork down and stood up.

"Ruby -" Weiss began to ask, but Ruby had already walked around the table and knelt down by Weiss' side. When she reached out to hold Weiss' hands, the butterflies really started - fluttering like crazy through Weiss' chest.

"I really like them. Sure, they don't look like 'typical' pancakes, but they taste good. And they're really special...because you made them."

The words, combined with the earnestness in Ruby's eyes, made Weiss never want to let go of this moment - which was more than she could have wished for from a stack of burned pancakes. And while she didn't quite understand why this moment made her heart beat faster and her palms grow clammy, she didn't quite care.

"They'll be better next time," she promised, resolving herself to spending all of her free time in the dorm's small kitchen until she perfected this strangely-difficult craft.

"Can't wait!" With another grin, Ruby popped to her feet and went back to her seat. "I'll be your taste tester!"

The offer made Weiss inexplicably happy - so much so that she watched with a smile as Ruby finished the rest of her 'failed' attempt at breakfast. Realistically, she understood that burned pancakes weren't as good as soft, buttery ones. She understood that somehow she cooked them too long, didn't mix them quite right, and spilled the batter in less-than-circular shapes. She understood that they weren't _perfect_ like she wanted them to be. What she'd forgotten was that Ruby didn't expect her to be perfect. Ruby only wanted her to try her best - and that was more than enough.

"Thank you, Ruby…" Weiss whispered while Ruby finished eating and set her fork across the plate.

"Thank _you!_ That was an awesome breakfast!"

Those simple words made it feel like Weiss could float right out of her chair. She could be floating for the rest of the day, really, and the rest of the year if it continued at this pace.

"You wanna get some training in?" As usual, Ruby's eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of training together, which always made Weiss feel incredibly valued. Treasured, even.

Her. Weiss Schnee. Someone valued her, even though she wasn't perfect. Someone treasured her, even though she couldn't even make pancakes correctly.

"Let me clean up first?" she replied, gesturing towards the dishes on the table. "Then I'll meet you there."

"But I can help clean up!"

Before Ruby could pick up the plate, Weiss reached out to stop her.

"Please, let me do it." Looking across the table, Weiss smiled at Ruby - for much more than her endless sweetness and willingness to help others. "This morning was my treat, after all."

Again, Ruby's eyes lit up with happiness - not because she'd gotten out of cleaning, but because Weiss reminded her that breakfast was a special treat just for her. There was a reason Weiss hadn't invited their other teammates, after all.

"You're the best." Leaning across the table, Ruby kissed Weiss' cheek before grabbing Crescent Rose and heading for the door. "I'll meet you over there - you know where to find me!"

With that, Ruby disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared, leaving nothing but petals and a shell-shocked Weiss in her wake.

Weiss didn't know how long she sat there, glued to her seat while staring at the empty space in front of her. Her heart raced, her mind reeled, and her cheek blushed where Ruby's lips had just been. It was only when she realized that she was making Ruby wait that she stood and took the dishes to the sink.

The small kitchen was provided so that students could make their own meals when they so desired, but it was their job to keep everything clean and orderly. With that objective in mind, she washed the dishes while allowing her mind to wander - where else, but to Ruby.

No matter how much time they spent together, Weiss wanted more - a remarkable desire considering their first few days as partners. But these days, she found it hard to ever get 'enough.' Why was she trying so hard? She and Ruby were already friends - what more was she searching for?

With that question in mind, she dried her hands and surveyed the tidy kitchen. Satisfied that everything was back in its place, she nodded and picked up her scroll to leave. Before she made it to the door, however, someone pushed it open and poked their head in.

"Oh, there you are!"

Shoving the door all the way open, Yang walked inside with a smile. Blake, as usual, was right on Yang's heels, and Weiss didn't miss the way she lifted her nose and sniffed - likely able to smell the remnants of burned pancakes in the air.

"Did you already eat?" Yang asked, gesturing towards the sink.

"Yes. Ruby and I are going to practice now."

"Oh, cool." After sharing a glance with Blake - the two of them doing that silent communication thing they always did - Yang turned back to Weiss with a smile. "We're gonna make breakfast, then maybe we can join you?"

"Of course."

Even though a tiny part of Weiss didn't want to share her time with Ruby, she knew how much Ruby loved when the four of them trained together. Knowing that Yang and Blake would soon join them, however, Weiss wanted to make the most of their alone time before then.

After pulling the door open, however, she paused and looked at Yang.

As their resident chef, Yang moved around the kitchen like she knew exactly what she was doing - which she did. With a lifetime of experience in keeping Ruby happy and well fed, Yang had an entire cookbook of recipes memorized. Not only that, but her meals never turned out burned or inedible.

"Hey Yang?"

"Yeah?"

When Yang turned away from the stove, Weiss wondered if she actually wanted to ask this question. It was one thing for Ruby to see her flaws and failures, but for Yang to see them too? While they were teammates, and friends, Weiss wasn't used to or experienced in showing others her vulnerabilities.

"What's up?" Yang asked when Weiss didn't immediately respond, giving her one of those kind, patient smiles that meant she was really listening.

"Maybe someday…" Weiss began, mulling over the words before finally saying them out loud. "Maybe someday you could show me how to make your pancakes?"

Yang's first reaction was to blink in surprise, but then her smile grew bigger.

"Of course." Glancing at Blake, Yang chuckled and looked overjoyed by the request. "I'd love to! Gotta pass the torch sometime."

When Yang smiled and winked at her, Weiss felt a wave of both relief and determination roll through her. While this morning had turned out remarkably well despite her failings, she wanted next time to be better - and the time after that even better. It might take more attempts than she anticipated, but she would learn how to cook, if only so she could cook for Ruby.

"I appreciate it," was all she said, sparing Yang a grateful smile before leaving her teammates to their breakfast. Once in the hall, she hurried to collect Myrtenaster so she could meet Ruby at the practice rooms, determined not to let her partner wait any longer than necessary.

While on her way through the halls, however, she couldn't keep a smile from appearing - a smile that grew when she remembered those burned, abnormally-shaped monstrosities Ruby gladly ate for breakfast.

Ruby didn't expect Weiss to be perfect, but Ruby expected her to try her best. Sometimes, trying her best meant failing. Sometimes, it meant asking others for help.

Whatever it took, Weiss was willing to do it. If she received just one more cheek kiss in the process, her efforts and embarrassments would be more than worth it.


	25. Out-Fitted - BB & WR

**Pairing: Bumblebee & White Rose  
** **Summary: Team RWBY gets ready for Halloween**

* * *

"What do you think?"

When Yang moved out of the way, Ruby stepped in front of the mirror and examined her reflection. Unlike a typical day of school - when Ruby rolled out of bed and ran to class with some outrageous bedhead - she actually took the time to examine her outfit closely. Lips pursed and brow furrowed in concentration, she took in the entire ensemble and nodded.

"Looks good! But can you add more blood?"

Laughing at the request, Yang picked up the container of fake blood and dropped more onto Ruby's neck. That's where they'd decided to put the decently-gory flesh wound Ruby was all hyped up to receive - because she couldn't be a recently-reanimated zombie without a decent amount of bleeding flesh wounds.

Once the fake blood ran down Ruby's neck and soaked into the top of her throwaway tee, Yang capped off the container and set it aside.

"How's that?"

When Ruby turned and looked into the mirror again, she grinned and nodded repeatedly.

"That looks _awesome!_ We're totally gonna be best-dressed team tonight!"

Yang willingly slapped Ruby's hand for a high-five and laughed at her exuberance for tonight's Halloween bash.

"This was such a good idea," Ruby added. Raising her hands and staring in the mirror, she let out a little growl before giggling.

"It was an _even better_ idea to pick each other's costumes," Yang said while straightening the bottom of her black, military-style jacket - complete with several fake pistols hidden inside. The rest of her outfit consisted of black pants, black boots with a dash of purple tied around one, and her favorite pair of sunglasses.

She looked pretty badass, if she said so herself.

She also lucked out _immensely_ in pulling Ruby's name as 'costume buddy.' From the look in Weiss' eyes, Yang might've been dressing as a giant bunny or baby for the evening. Instead, Ruby looked at Yang with stars in her eyes and declared -

"You're the coolest-looking bounty hunter ever!"

Pulling out her shades and putting them on (with flair, because all bounty hunter had flair), Yang grinned at her reflection.

"Good choice, sis," she said, reaching out and high-fiving Ruby. The two of them looked super awesome - what with Yang's sleek, black ensemble and Ruby's hyper-realistic 'just died' vibe. If Weiss and Blake looked even half as cool as they did, their team was winning the costume contest _for sure_. There wasn't even a prize for winning, but whatever - this was Halloween. Yang and Ruby didn't mess around for Halloween.

"Think Weiss and Blake are ready yet?" Yang asked, removing her sunglasses and setting them on top of her head.

"Uh, I dunno. Probably? Wanna go see?"

"Definitely. Let's show them how freaking _legit_ you look!"

First giggling, Ruby then raised both arms and let out a fearsome growl. It was actually a little scary! But the way she snapped her teeth made her look more like a puppy wanting treats than a zombie wanting flesh.

Leaving the dorm's single community bathroom behind, the two of them headed back to their room. Blake and Weiss won the coin toss for getting dressed in the room, forcing Ruby and Yang to a different location to change. Why couldn't they all get changed in the same place? Yang had no idea. Something about keeping their partner's choices under wraps.

"Can't wait for Weiss to see my costume!" Ruby added with a little hop of glee, looking pretty spry for someone who _hadn't_ survived the apocalypse.

After receiving the assignment of 'zombie' (a pretty awesome choice, in Yang's humble opinion), Ruby binge watched dozens of horrible zombie films to 'research.' The end result was the masterpiece skipping down the hall with a smile on her face - torn but rugged clothes, fake blood everywhere, and several open wounds that looked both awesome and disgusting.

Yang didn't want to say that she and Ruby were the _masters_ of Halloween, but...they were pretty damn good at it. That's why it was a little unfair that Blake and Weiss got stuck together - the two least festive members of the team were outmatched from the get-go.

"What do you think they picked?" Yang asked as they approached their room.

"No idea! Weiss wouldn't even give me hints."

"Well, that's shocking. Normally, you just bat your silver eyes and she spills her darkest secrets."

"I know, right?" Raising her hands and letting them fall back to her side, Ruby shook her head. "I even said 'please!'"

"Wow. They must be taking this _super_ seriously then," Yang joked, knowing that the opposite was probably true.

Their partners had been suspiciously reluctant to give clues about the costumes they chose for each other. At least, it _seemed_ suspicious at first, but Yang quickly realized it wasn't because they were being coy. No, Blake and Weiss just couldn't decide what they were going to wear. Which made sense because they _were_ under a lot of pressure - what with going up against the Halloween pros and all.

Not that this was a _competition_ or anything. But there was a ' _Costume Competition_ ' tonight (that's right - capital C's). Plus, _anything_ involving Weiss was a competition - that's just kind of how Weiss worked.

Moral of the story: Yang wanted to win. _Especially_ because this particular competition involved one of her main sources of pride - her ability to look good wearing anything. It didn't matter that Ruby threw her a softball, she still crushed it out of the park.

"I hope they picked something good," Yang added while knocking on their door. "I really wanna win tonight."

"I'm sure they did! If not, I'll eat 'em."

When Yang laughed, Ruby raised her arms and started another growl - but her growl ended the instant the door opened.

"Took you long enough."

Even though Weiss tried to use her normally-haughty tone, the rampant blush on her cheeks erased the attempt entirely.

"Uh…"

Yang knew it was rude to stare - she was taught _some_ manners, after all - but she _couldn't stop staring_ at Weiss right now. Because on a scale of one to huh-that-meteor-was-unexpected, Yang's current level of surprise was at about a...leprechauns-showing-up-on-a-sunny-day.

Clearing her throat, Yang attempted to speak again.

"Uh...Weiss? Can I just say...holy shit?"

"No, you cannot," Weiss retorted, glaring at Yang before risking a glance at Ruby - who was...well, zombies drooled, right? If not, _this_ one certainly did.

Ruby's mouth hung open, her eyes were wide as saucers, and she was completely still for once - looking much like a zombie statue. Realizing Ruby might be stuck like that for a long time, Yang gently elbowed her in the side so she'd snap out of it.

"Uh, w-wow, Weiss," Ruby quickly stammered, unable to keep her eyes off of Weiss and her completely unexpected costume. "You look...wow. Amazing."

Ruby's tongue-tied reaction made Weiss' blush grow, and she glanced down at her outfit - which was one of the most slutty-yet-flattering nurse's uniforms Yang had ever seen. The white, collared shirt was missing several buttons that would provide any form of modesty. A _short_ white skirt left little to the imagination. And the little white hat with a dash of red finished off the outfit perfectly.

It was immodest, and pretty shameless, and definitely _not_ something Weiss would've chosen on her own - which was why she was blushing so deeply and only hesitantly meeting Ruby's gaze.

"Thank you," she replied in a much softer tone, tugging at the hem of her shirt. "We...couldn't decide on something fair."

The response caught Yang's attention - as did the lack of a certain raven-haired girl she now _couldn't wait_ to see.

"Where's Blake?"

Glancing over her shoulder, Weiss grinned and pushed the door all the way open. And apparently a bounty had been placed on Yang's heart - which Blake just collected.

"Oh...my god…"

Much less embarrassed than before, Weiss moved out of Yang's way and smirked.

"You're welcome."

Yang scoffed, but quickly realized that she probably did owe Weiss a healthy amount of gratitude. Because standing in front of her was the most incredible, beautiful, _exceptionally hot_ person on the planet - and her black, skintight cat outfit only added to the pure sex appeal she always rocked.

Fixing her gaze on the wall, Blake ran the fake, fuzzy cat's tail through her fingers and let it fall behind her.

"I don't like Halloween…" she muttered under her breath, her ears twitching in agreement with the words.

"Wow, Blake."

Walking over, Yang reached out for her partner's hands and finally drew that beautiful amber gaze her way. From the look in Blake's eyes, she was supremely embarrassed right now - but why? Because she and the hot nurse were going to be the stars of the party?

Yang and Ruby _thought_ they were the masters of Halloween, but apparently they were just plebeians who didn't know anything about costumes. Who cared about a super-realistic zombie when Weiss-freaking-Schnee was rocking a bright red bra under her ultra-revealing nurse's costume? (And Yang was willing to wager bright red panties too - because Weiss loved to match.) And who cared about the super-sleek bounty hunter when Blake Belladonna - mistress of shadows and wit - was showing off some serious curves?

"You look...wow." Leaning back and taking another good look at Blake, spending extra time appreciating the way the outfit accentuated her _assets_ , Yang licked her lips. "Think we can skip the party?"

Blake wanted to say 'yes' - Yang could see it in her eyes - but someone else answered for her.

"No way. If _I_ have to go out like this, _she_ does too."

"Aw, come on, Weiss," Yang whined, turning towards the hot, annoyed nurse. "You and Ruby can have fun without us! We'll have fun here."

When Yang winked, Weiss crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I thought you wanted to win this competition."

"Yeah, but that's before I saw how hot Blake looks." Catching Blake's eyes, Yang winked again. "You look super hot, by the way."

"I could tell you the same thing," Blake purred in response. The response only made Yang _more_ willing to skip the big Halloween bash, which they could totally do if -

"I still wanna go though!"

As soon as Ruby voiced her opinion, Yang sighed and gave up her quest to skip out. One, Ruby was team leader and what she said was kind of what they did. And two, Ruby was her little sister and she wanted her little sister to get what she wanted.

"We'll just make an appearance? Show everyone how awesome we are?" Directing the question more towards Blake than anyone else, Yang grinned when Blake nodded.

"Then will you be my date to this Halloween bash?" Yang asked, extending an elbow to Blake and grinning when Blake accepted it. "Just scored the hottest date in Beacon," Yang teased Ruby - who still couldn't remove her eyes from Weiss.

"Funny...I just thought the same thing," Blake remarked, smiling at Yang as they walked to the door.

"You're so freaking perfect." Leaning over, Yang kissed Blake's cheek before waving their teammates after them. "Come on guys, let's get this show on the road!"

Of course, Ruby and Weiss operated on their own timeline - and first they needed to finish the one-sided staring contest that Ruby was definitely winning.

Taking a step closer to Ruby, Weiss raised one hand and gently ran her fingers across the fake wound on Ruby's neck.

"It looks like you could use my assistance," Weiss whispered. "Maybe later I can...nurse you back to health?"

Ruby's response was to giggle and blush, but Yang shook her head.

"Oh hell no - you do _not_ get to make a pun at the same time you try to get in my sister's pants."

"Why don't you look at Blake instead of listening to me?" Weiss immediately shot back. Yang wanted to reply with something witty, but looked at Blake and felt unmistakable lust spring into her veins.

"I can't stand when Weiss is right…" she muttered while Blake pulled her into the hall.

"Let's just get this over with," Blake said, glancing over her shoulder to confirm that Weiss and Ruby followed them. "I'm ready for my lifetime supply of embarrassment."

"How did this even happen?" Yang asked as they walked towards the party.

"Weiss and I couldn't decide what to wear," Blake explained. "I suggested she be a nurse because Ruby would love it. She said 'absolutely not,' but then came back with this." Blake held out her arms and sighed. "I knew I should've played it safer…"

"I'm _really_ glad you didn't."

"We need to take a team photo!" Ruby piped up from behind them - her most brilliant idea since the whole 'draw names and pick each other's costumes' one.

"Yes, because I want this outfit memorialized…" Weiss grumbled.

"Make copies, Ruby," Yang teased. "Can't let Weiss delete the evidence."

"Please. You should be more worried about Blake deleting every trace of this."

Realizing the truth behind that statement, Yang turned towards her partner - and received a smirk in response.

"I'll let you keep a picture, if I get to choose _your_ outfit tonight."

When Blake winked, Yang praised the lucky stars in heaven for this miraculous night.

"I'll offer the same deal to you, Ruby."

"God, Weiss," Yang responded with a heavy sigh. "Maybe the costume suits you."

"You're one to talk."

After one more good look at Blake and realizing Weiss was probably right, Yang laughed and shook her head. The sound of music and a crowd talking reached their ears then, reminding her of the many, many surprised and/or envious expressions they were about to receive.

This was going to be a _fantastic_ Halloween.


	26. Lucky Day - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Weiss is having an off day until a certain someone suddenly appears in her life.**

* * *

"Let me get this clear," Weiss said, gesturing with her hand even though the person on the line couldn't see her. "You're telling me that an _entire_ shipment was lost in Vacuo?"

"Um, well you see, it wasn't quite 'lost…'"

Clenching her jaw while listening to the sputters, she tried to ignore the brewing agitation brought on by another dose of colossal incompetence. It wasn't even eleven o'clock yet - how was this all happening in one morning?

"Then where is it?"

She heard the warning in her tone, and so did the employee on the phone, who'd apparently drawn the short straw in having to report the news.

"We...we don't know..."

Finally receiving an honest answer, Weiss sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Had she committed a crime recently? Wronged the universe in some horrible way? Scoffed in the face of lady luck?

All she wanted was a quick cup of coffee. Fifteen minutes - that was all it would take for her to order a drink and sit down for a brief break. Instead, her cup sat in front of her - untouched and growing cold - while her 'bad' day grew substantially worse. And, as always, it was up to her to fix a mess of someone else's doing.

"Pull the shipment logs from every port and start looking. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Without waiting for a response, she hung up the phone and sighed.

Her day started with a not-so-small explosion in one of the warehouses. No one was hurt, thankfully, but the damage had already thrown their supply chain into disarray. While they searched for the cause of the blast, they needed everything else to operate as smoothly as possible to mitigate the fallout - so _of course_ an entire shipment of supplies was lost in Vacuo. Because how difficult was it to keep track of a barge nearly as big as some cities?

Pretty difficult, apparently.

"Bad day?"

The question drew Weiss' gaze across the table, where another of the coffee shop's patrons had been sitting for the past few minutes. The speaker was a decently-attractive young man in a suit, who wore a slightly-amused smile while taking a drink of his coffee. Considering his attire, it seemed like he would understand her misery. Surely he encountered incompetence from interns and entry-level assistants like she did.

"You could say that," Weiss replied, picking up her cold coffee and taking a sip. "Thought I could leave for a few minutes. Apparently, I miscalculated their competency."

Chuckling lightly, he leaned forward and set his elbows on the table.

"And now you get to clean up their mess?"

"Exactly."

"That's rough," he said, smiling at her while picking up his drink. And, despite her pretty miserable morning, Weiss smiled at the succinct response.

"It _is_ rough," she agreed. The commiseration offered her a small amount of vindication - allowing her to believe that it was unfortunate she had to suffer through this unlucky sequence of events.

"Well hey, if you need some time to relax, there's a great place nearby where we can get something a little stronger."

When he wiggled his cup in the air and smirked, Weiss felt her smile disappear. And, when he didn't immediately pass it off as a joke, she scoffed.

"Are you serious?"

Oblivious to her growing disdain, the boy nodded and leaned back in his seat.

"Your coworkers might be incompetent, but _I'm_ not - if you know what I mean..."

The phrase and accompanying smirk were so obvious, the _coffee cups_ understood what he meant.

Apparently, anyone could throw on a suit and pretend to be a productive, decent member of society. Lesson learned.

"Do you _really_ think I'm in the mood to be _hit on_ right now?" Weiss asked, feeling her scowl deepen when he shrugged. "News flash, moron - I'm not." Grabbing her bag, she stood and gave him one last annoyed glance. "And it's not even lunchtime - who invites someone to go drinking in the middle of the morning?"

Without waiting for an answer, she spun on her heel and left him - and her cold coffee - behind.

"What is _with_ people today?" she muttered while heading back to the office.

It must be a full moon, because everyone was acting like imbeciles. So the question was - which group of imbeciles would she rather surround herself with today? The ones at work, who might blow up the entire building - or the ones running around outside, who might do god-knows what.

Work it is.

Knowing that someone had probably destroyed something else in the last five minutes, she searched her bag for her phone while hurrying away from the coffeeshop. When she looked down for just a second, however, she caught a flash of red before someone slammed into her.

The air suddenly left her lungs, and she was nearly knocked right off her feet. She would have been knocked off her feet if a pair of strong arms hadn't wrapped around her waist and kept her upright.

"Woah! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?"

After a brief moment of confusion over what just happened, Weiss collected herself and felt indignation burst through her veins at yet _another_ transgression on this miserable day. Prepared to unleash her unfiltered response to the careless action, she looked up -

And found herself staring into the most gorgeous silver eyes she'd ever seen.

"Shoot, did I hurt you?" the girl asked when Weiss didn't respond. "Where are you hurt? Stay here, I'll get help -"

"Wait -"

Finally finding her voice, Weiss said the single word and prevented the girl from racing off. And that's when she felt an unmistakable blush heating her cheeks.

The girl still had her arms wrapped around Weiss' waist like she was holding Weiss upright - which could very well be true due to the myriad of conflicting (and strong) feelings fluttering through her chest.

"I'm ok," she added.

When the girl smiled at the response, Weiss was extra appreciative of the support. Because this girl was beautiful in every conceivable way. From her short, brunette hair - that was slightly-ruffled, but in a fashionable way - to her beaming smile and her long, lithe limbs, she was an attractive person.

And then there were her eyes...a gorgeous shade of silver that Weiss wanted to stare into for as long as possible.

How was this girl so beautiful? And not only in appearance, because her personality shone through her smile and expressive eyes. It felt like the sun radiated from her - a happy, spirited energy that warmed Weiss through-and-through.

"Thank god!" the girl remarked, visibly relieved that Weiss wasn't injured. "I'd feel super bad if I hurt you! Like, I'd have to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

"Good thing I'm ok then."

Weiss' smile grew right along with the girl's in front of her, and suddenly this day felt much brighter - maybe even a little lucky. Sure, someone just ran into her on the sidewalk - which should've added to her terrible day - but it was difficult to feel disgruntled while basking in that warm smile.

"I mean, not that I'd mind," the girl added with an adorable laugh that melted Weiss' heart. "I just think I'm a little young to owe my life to someone, you know? And I'm not really sure how that'd work, like, logistically. Guess I'd have to follow you around all the time or something..."

The meandering conversation was so unorthodox - not to mention adorable - Weiss couldn't help but laugh. The moment she did so, however, silver eyes locked onto hers and she entered another state of blissful disbelief.

If this was the universe's way of making up for the morning she just went through, she would gladly accept the apology.

"I'm Weiss, by the way," she said, extending a hand towards her unexpected company.

"Ruby!" the girl replied with a firm handshake and grin. "It's nice to meet you, Weiss!"

Immediately falling in love with the way Ruby said her name, Weiss struggled to say, "Nice to meet you too" before they lapsed into a brief silence where they both just smiled at each other. Again, it was so easy to get lost in Ruby's eyes...and her smile...

After a few seconds passed, Weiss suddenly realized she was still holding Ruby's hand - or was Ruby still holding hers? Regardless, she dropped her hand to her side and inconspicuously wiped her dampening palm on her thigh.

"Sorry. Am I keeping you from something?" Weiss asked. When she motioned down the street, Ruby glanced that direction and then smiled.

"Nope! Well, kinda, but she can wait!"

"Oh."

The response poked a giant hole in Weiss' happy feelings and deflated her like a balloon. Apparently, the universe had just played an even crueler trick on her - dangling the image of beauty in front of her only to pull it away when she reached for it.

"Are you meeting someone?" she asked anyway, forcing a smile while waiting for the answer.

"Yeah, my sister! She wanted to have brunch today since we're both off work."

Just like that, Weiss' smile returned - right along with her cheerful energy. After expecting a continuation of this morning's trend, the answer was a welcome break in the cycle.

"Well I don't want to make you late..." she replied, making sure she was polite even though she was still smiling like an idiot.

"But she's _always_ late," Ruby replied with a grin. "Literally always. Actually -"

Reaching into her pocket, Ruby pulled out her phone. After looking at the screen, she giggled and held it out for Weiss to see.

Even though it was unusual for someone she just met to show her their phone, Weiss looked at the screen and found a short message from a contact titled 'The Yangster.' The text read very simply - 'Dinner instead? De-layed' followed by several winking faces.

"How's that for luck?" Ruby asked while putting her phone away. "Now I'm not late at all!"

While Weiss stared, Ruby's words played again in her mind.

'How's that for luck?'

After spending the morning inundated with fires at work and dealing with unwanted solicitations from strangers, the universe finally decided that enough was enough. In doing so, Weiss was gifted a spare moment with one of the most beautiful girls she'd ever met.

Weiss didn't consider herself to be very superstitious, but no way was she considering this stroke of luck anything other than _a sign_.

"Would you like to get a cup of coffee?" she blurted out.

The invitation was unexpected, unprompted, and probably a bad idea, but she couldn't let Ruby walk out of her life without making an attempt to extend their time together.

The moment Ruby smiled, however, Weiss knew the invitation _definitely_ wasn't a bad idea.

"I'd love to!"

When Ruby took a step towards the nearest coffeeshop - the one Weiss just left behind - Weiss shook her head and gestured in the other direction.

"I think we'll have better luck at a different one."

Fortunately, Ruby didn't question the decision in the slightest. Instead, she smiled at Weiss - another one of those warm smiles that melted her heart to a puddle in her chest.

"That's funny, because as soon as I ran into you, I thought - 'Today must be my lucky day!'"

The openly-honest response lit a rampant blush on Weiss' cheeks, but she smiled and met Ruby's eyes - still stunned by the beauty looking back at her.

"I think it's mine too."


	27. Just Trust Me - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: Weiss and Ruby go camping.**

* * *

"Finally made it!" Ruby exclaimed, gesturing widely towards a section of woods that looked no different from the woods they'd driven past for the last half hour. In fact, the only thing that set this place apart from nondescript wilderness was a small parking lot and an even smaller sign that read 'Vale Campgrounds.'

"Now the fun begins..." Weiss muttered to herself while following Ruby to the trunk of the car they'd driven here. The trunk held a variety of supplies they'd loaded into the vehicle this morning - food, clothes, sleeping bags, and a large canvas bag Ruby had gleefully proclaimed to be their sleeping quarters for the evening.

Reaching towards the duffle bag she'd packed with spare clothes, Weiss withdrew her hand in surprise when Ruby slapped it away.

"Nope! I said I'd do everything, remember?"

"But I can carry my own bag..."

"Nnnnope!" Ruby repeated, shooing Weiss away from the vehicle. "I got it!"

Even though Weiss scoffed at the idea of Ruby doing _everything_ herself this weekend, she did as told and watched Ruby sling four bags over her shoulders before struggling to lift the large tent out of the trunk. Ruby first tried to pick it up in the middle, but it was so long that it would only come out of the trunk at an angle. But it was so heavy that picking it up from one side was difficult.

After watching Ruby fight with it for several seconds, Weiss decided it was time to intervene.

"Ruby, let me -" she began to say, only to be boxed out the moment she stepped forward to help.

"I got it!" Ruby repeated before pulling one end of the bag with all of her might.

And this time, it worked. The tent flew out of the trunk, but it was too large for Ruby to hold on her own. As a result, the bottom half of it clunked against the bumper of the car before dropping to the ground - right on top of Ruby's foot.

When Ruby let out a small yelp of pain, Weiss rushed over and lifted the bag off Ruby's foot.

"Ruby!" she exclaimed, dropping the tent on the ground and looking at Ruby's injured foot. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" Ruby replied with a grimace. Contrary to her words, she was holding her foot off the ground in obvious pain, but gingerly set it down a moment later.

"Totally fine!" she reiterated with a smile. "Come on - let's find a spot to set this up!"

Even though Weiss was prepared to take Ruby to a hospital right then and there, she watched in surprise while Ruby picked up the handle of the tent and dragged the bag towards the woods. She walked with a slight limp now, but other than that seemed none the worse for wear after the inauspicious start to their trip.

"Lord help me…" Weiss whispered while hurrying after Ruby, not wanting her to get too far away. Not that she could move very fast while laden with so many bags...

"I could at least carry one of them," Weiss pointed out, following Ruby along a thin trail running through the woods away from the parking lot.

"But that means you'd be helping."

"Well, yes…"

"Don't worry, Weiss!" Ruby said, her voice a little more strained than normal due to exertion. "I got this!"

There was no doubt in Weiss' mind that Ruby _could_ do this all by herself. In fact, Weiss had (foolishly) fanned the flames on that desire by making comments about how impressive it would be for Ruby to take care of everything for an entire weekend. After seeing exactly what that entailed, however, Weiss was having second thoughts.

Ruby was a klutz. And that was _without_ trying to carry anything or walk on uneven ground. If she made it through the _day_ without causing herself serious harm, it would be a miracle.

"This spot looks perfect!"

When Ruby unceremoniously dropped the bags on the ground (narrowly missing her feet) and waved towards a decently-sized patch of grass with a small cement fire pit built nearby, Weiss looked at their surroundings and felt her brow furrow.

"How is this spot better than that one over there?" she asked, pointing to an identical patch of grass to their left. "Or that one over there?" she added while pointing towards the right.

"It just is - trust me!"

Hearing Ruby's new catch phrase for the hundredth time in the past week, Weiss rolled her eyes and watched her partner try to pull the folded-up tent from its carrying case.

"Do you need help?" she offered when Ruby struggled with the size of it.

"Nope!" Ruby huffed before giving the tent one strong tug. She promptly fell onto her butt when it pulled free of the bag, but then she hopped to her feet and gestured to the metal and fabric monstrosity.

"Tadaaa!"

"Good job," Weiss replied with a small smile. "I'm assuming we set it up now?"

"You mean _I_ set it up!" Ruby said while again shooing Weiss away. "It's gonna be so awesome to sleep in a tent!"

"Yes...because we don't have a nice, well-constructed home to sleep in..."

"Weissss!"

Hearing the whine, Weiss sighed and shook her head.

"But that's the point," she added, much to Ruby's delight.

"Exactly! That's the point of camping - we do it ourselves!" When Weiss raised her brow, Ruby hurried to add, "Or I do it for you, because I promised you wouldn't have to do anything!"

"I believe your exact words were - 'it's so easy, I can do it all myself,'" Weiss reminded Ruby.

"And it is!" Kneeling by the tent, Ruby unbuckled the straps and moved several pieces out of the way. "Even the tent is super easy!" she explained while she worked. "Just unwrap it, and it should pop right open!"

From Ruby's expectant expression, Weiss assumed the tent should have done something spectacular at that moment. What it did, however, was remain in a pile on the ground.

"Huh…"

Fiddling around with the metal beams, Ruby pulled on something and suddenly the entire thing popped open. Yelping in surprise, she leapt away as a massive tent sprang into form, but not fast enough to avoid one of the poles from hitting her in the head.

"Ow..."

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed, rushing over while Ruby rubbed her forehead. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah...it just kinda...whacked me in the head a bit..."

After brushing Ruby's hand away to check the wound - finding a small bump that would surely grow over the next hour - Weiss sighed and held Ruby's hand.

"Maybe we should just go home…"

"But we just got here!" Ruby protested.

"Yes, and you've already dropped that tent on your foot and gotten smacked in the head. I think it's pretty clear that thing has it out for you."

"But..."

As soon as Ruby's brow furrowed and her lower lip stuck out in a pout, Weiss relented.

"Ok," she said before Ruby could add the heartbreaking puppy dog eyes. "Ok, it's fine. We'll stay. Just...maybe I can help a _little_ bit?"

When Ruby looked reluctant, Weiss kissed her on the cheek and added "Please? You know this is my first time camping - I'd like to learn a few things."

That sentence ended with 'before never doing this again,' but Weiss kept that thought to herself. She didn't want to rain on Ruby's parade any more than the start of this adventure already had. Fortunately, Ruby nodded and smiled at Weiss' offer to help.

"Ok, if you really want to! It'll be fun!"

Weiss waited for the words 'trust me' to appear at the end of that sentence but, surprisingly, Ruby didn't add the phrase this time. Did that mean she was losing her certainty that this _would_ be fun? Weiss could understand why - if she nearly broke her foot and got a concussion within a few minutes of arrival, she'd question how much fun she was having too.

Inexplicably, the thought made Weiss feel worse - and guilty. Even though she wanted to pack up and return to civilization (and safety), she also wanted Ruby to have fun. And Ruby having fun seemed like an absolute certainty just a short time ago, but now felt a little less destined to happen - which was where Weiss stepped in.

"Let's decorate the inside of our new home," she suggested while nodding towards the tent. A wave of relief rolled through her when Ruby's grin returned full force.

"Yeah!" Racing over to the pile of supplies, Ruby tripped and practically fell on top of the sleeping bags before picking them up. "Our only decorations!"

Smiling as she took one of the bags from Ruby's hands, Weiss ducked into the tent and surveyed their available space. Supposedly, this tent would serve as protection from the elements and insects, but apparently that was _all_ it was designed to do. There was really nothing to it but thin material covering every possible side, even the ground they walked on.

Nothing about this experience was within Weiss' scope of expertise. She hadn't even _owned_ a sleeping bag until a few days ago - because why would she ever want to sleep in a bag when there were things called beds and _hotels?_

During the packing process, it became clear she would be out of her comfort zone. Being here now, it was abundantly obvious that this activity was built with another person in mind.

"I'm sorry Yang couldn't make it this year," she said while they unrolled their sleeping bags side-by-side.

"It's ok. I know she and Blake had that stuff to take care of."

Looking over, Weiss watched Ruby shrug off her sister's absence for their yearly tradition.

"I'm sure she'll make it up to you."

If Weiss knew anything about Yang, it was that she hated letting Ruby down. Not that it could be helped in this instance, seeing as how Blake needed Yang's help with a family commitment - which Ruby had been very understanding of, like she always was.

"l know - she already said we'll go in a few weeks! Thanks for coming with me though. I really appreciate it."

If only Weiss could capture Ruby's grateful smile for eternity...because it was more than worth the upcoming misery. Even though she'd immediately volunteered to take Yang's place, that was due more to the devastated look on Ruby's face when Yang delivered the news than due to her personal desire to spend a weekend in the wilderness.

"Ok," Weiss asked once their two sleeping bags were laid in the middle of the tent. That had been pretty simple, but she was determined to keep the injury-free, fun train rolling. "What do we do next?"

"Let's start a bonfire and make s'mores!"

The instant Ruby pulled out a book of matches, Weiss snatched them from her hands. Noticing the surprised look on Ruby's face, Weiss smiled and gave her another kiss on the cheek - suddenly understanding that she would be giving Ruby a lot of kisses this weekend to prevent hurting her feelings.

"Why don't you let me do that? And you can get the ingredients ready?"

When Ruby's smile returned, Weiss suppressed a sigh of relief. The two of them left the tent behind, and Ruby rustled through their bags for the s'mores ingredients she packed earlier that day while Weiss walked over to the cement grilling area that had seen its fair share of fires.

From the ashy remains, she deduced that previous campers had used branches and pieces of wood for their fires. As fortune had it, a small pile of leftovers was left nearby, which she quickly piled into the fire pit before trying and failing to light the fire.

"Ouch!"

Immediately alarmed, Weiss looked over and watched Ruby stick her forefinger into her mouth - her other hand still holding the box of graham crackers.

"Paper cut…" Ruby said around her finger.

"You brought that first aid kit, didn't you?" Weiss asked. After nodding, Ruby set the graham crackers down and searched for a bandaid instead.

While Ruby did that, Weiss tried and failed several more times to keep the fire going. Eventually - after spotting tiny remnants of newspaper in the fire pit - she gathered some dry leaves from nearby and used those to get the fire going.

And she had to admit…it was pretty satisfying to build a tiny fire all on her own. Well, on her own plus a booklet of matches.

"That looks great!" Ruby said while standing by Weiss' side - the two of them watching the fire spark to life before their eyes. "Now let's make s'mores!"

A few minutes later, they held their marshmallows on sticks over the flames, which were steadily burning the bigger pieces of wood Weiss had piled on top of the bed of smaller twigs. It was the middle of the day and they were making what could only be considered 'dessert,' but it was relaxing in a strange way. Maybe because it was so quiet out here...with only the sound of wind rustling through the trees, birds twittering up above, and the flames flickering in front of them.

"Ruby..." Weiss mused while they slowly turned their marshmallows over the fire, striving for the perfect golden brown Ruby had told her about.

"Yeah?"

"When you and Yang go camping...does Yang take care of everything?"

"Pretty much. Why?"

When Ruby's marshmallow caught on fire and she squealed before frantically blowing it out, Weiss smiled and shook her head.

"Just wondering..."

That answer explained...pretty much everything that happened so far today. It also meant Weiss needed to be far more involved than she'd planned on, but maybe that wouldn't be so bad. Actually, she knew it wouldn't be so bad. It might even be kind of fun.

Just like Ruby said it would be.


	28. Guaranteed Win - WR

**Pairing: White Rose (kinda)  
Summary: Weiss and Ruby take a dash through the train (V6 intro)**

* * *

"How 'bout thirty seconds?"

Huffing at the measly number, Weiss crossed her arms and looked away from Ruby.

"Three _hundred_ seconds?" Ruby immediately added, countering her offer without Weiss' response.

"Ruby," Weiss finally replied, giving Ruby a patient-yet-impatient look. "What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"You're not a fool! You're a genius! Just...a slow genius."

Weiss laughed at the unexpected response, which brought a smile back to her lips in no time.

"A _slow genius?_ " she repeated, her smile growing when Ruby nodded emphatically at the phrase. "What an oxymoron."

"Pretty sure I'm just a moron," Ruby replied - again, making Weiss laugh.

"You're not a moron. But what's got you so dogged?"

"Dunno what that means, but please, Weiss? Pleaseee?"

The moment Ruby clasped her hands together and pulled out those dangerously pleading puppy dog eyes, Weiss knew she was done for. She had yet to say 'no' to that face, and she found it hard to believe that today would be the first.

"I don't know why you want to do this so much…" she said instead, trying to wiggle her way out of the request using reason and logic rather than a firm 'no.'

"Because it'll be fun! And I'm bored - like, super bored."

"But we already know what will happen -"

"No we don't!" Ruby interrupted, hopping to the side when Weiss tried to turn away from those silver eyes. "We don't know for sure! Either one of us could win!"

"Uh huh…"

That was somewhere between a lie and a misrepresentation, and Ruby knew it. They both knew it, which was why Weiss didn't see the point in playing along. Why not skip the effort and concede the loss right now?

"Ok." Waving her hands in the air, Ruby wiped away that approach and tried another. "How about...if I don't catch you, you win. But if I _do_ catch you, you still win."

Now _that_ caught Weiss' attention.

"If you don't catch me, I win. If you catch me, I win?" she repeated, making sure she heard the offer correctly.

After nodding, Ruby started bouncing on her toes, knowing she was close to convincing Weiss to go along with this childish game. Which...she kind of was.

"What you're saying is…either way, I win."

"Yup!"

"Huh." Thinking about the situation for a while longer, Weiss felt another inescapable smile coming on.

"What you're suggesting is a guaranteed win," she concluded. When Ruby nodded, Weiss felt her skin tingle in anticipation.

Which was stupid - especially in this instance - but...she liked winning. Even if she was only winning Ruby's hyperactive creation, it was _still_ winning. And Grimm knew she needed a win right about now.

"I don't know, Ruby…" she replied with fake reticence, turning away from her partner and shaking her head. "It just really doesn't seem like - you can catch me!"

The instant the words left her mouth, Weiss bolted through the doorway and into the next train car. She heard Ruby squeal before pursuing - a sound Weiss couldn't help but laugh at while racing down the center aisle as quickly and safely as possible.

"Excuse me!" she called out while brushing past a man talking on his scroll in the aisle. Once she maneuvered around him, she made it to the doorway to the next train car, which she slipped through while continuing her evasion from Ruby.

Which was lasting a lot longer than she expected it to...

Quite frankly, Ruby should've caught her long ago.

Glancing over her shoulder, Weiss discovered the reason for the delay - Ruby wasn't using her semblance. Instead, she ran through the aisle like a kid who'd never learned proper coordination - her legs too long and her arms too clumsy to move in a cohesive fashion.

But Ruby beamed with happiness - an image that filled Weiss' heart with unmistakable love and joy. That is, until Ruby suddenly reached out to tag her, in which case she squealed and darted away from the encroaching hand.

Weiss' squeal made Ruby laugh, which in turn made Weiss laugh while leading them through the train one car at a time. As they garnered more and more attention from fellow passengers, she grew acutely aware of the optics of this situation.

To the outside observer, it looked like she - Weiss Schnee - was beating Ruby Rose in a footrace. Now _that_ was a win.

Sensing Ruby's hand growing closer (or seeing it in the reflection of the window), Weiss squealed again and ducked to the side before spurring her legs faster. While she hadn't expected to run the length of the train, she had to admit it felt good to be _doing_ something - anything other than sitting around waiting to arrive at their destination.

Leave it to Ruby to come up with an enjoyable and unorthodox way to release the tension…

Their little adventure was coming to an end though - with the front of the train just up ahead. The door to the conductor's cabin was their unofficial-yet-official finish line of the race, and if Weiss could keep just a _little_ bit of separation for the next few seconds...

When someone suddenly stood up and moved into the aisle, Weiss slid to a stop to avoid plowing into them at a run. Fortunately, due to quick reflexes and even-quicker thinking, she stopped with plenty of distance to spare.

And then Ruby slammed into her from behind.

The next thing she knew, she was laying on the floor in a jumbled up pile of limbs that were only half hers. The half of the limbs that _weren't_ hers quickly detangled themselves as Ruby rolled off of Weiss and helped her to her feet.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby wailed, holding Weiss' shoulder and looking her over for injuries. "I didn't know you could stop so fast! Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Testing her limbs to confirm those words, Weiss found she was perfectly fine. Besides her left elbow feeling a little bruised, she was none the worse for wear. From the worried look in Ruby's eyes, however, she must be clinging to life after her harsh meeting with the floor.

"I'm fine," she repeated before noticing that Ruby was still clutching her arm, looking almost afraid to let go. So Weiss reached out and gently held Ruby's hand in her own, meeting Ruby's eyes and smiling.

"I'm just fine," she said one more time, hoping that would erase the concern from Ruby's eyes. When it was only mildly successful, however, she searched for an alternative means of easing Ruby's worry and fear that Weiss somehow wasn't ok.

Thankfully, she found one - the door of the conductor's cabin, a mere ten feet away.

"Looks like you caught me."

It took a couple of seconds for Weiss' words to sink in, but eventually Ruby caught on and _finally_ smiled.

"Totally did! Didn't think I was going to for a second there. You're _really_ fast!"

Leaning back, Ruby gave a pretend huff of exertion while wiping her arm across her forehead. Of course, she wasn't actually breathless or tired in the slightest, but Weiss appreciated the act.

And she was grateful to see Ruby smiling again.

"You know what that means," Weiss replied, arching a brow. "I win."

"What? But I -" When realization finally dawned, Ruby briefly paused and let out an adorable giggle. "Oh. That's right. Yup, you won!"

Weiss laughed at the response while Ruby smiled and shuffled her feet - for an instant, looking just like the girl Weiss met at Beacon what felt like lifetimes ago. The expression was a welcome one - a sight for sore eyes that made Weiss' heart swell with waves of strong emotions.

"That was fun," she said softly, watching the compliment light even more giddiness in Ruby's silver eyes - the purest of colors Weiss had ever seen.

"Yeah?" Again, Ruby shuffled her feet, and then ran a hand through her short hair - making it a tousled mess. "I'm glad!"

For a moment, it was just the two of them standing in the middle of the aisle smiling at each other, enjoying their temporary reprieve from the monotony of the train. When Ruby's eyes flitted to the side, however, Weiss realized that their little race was more than a break from boredom - it was a distraction.

"Race back?" she offered, wanting to stay in this moment of youthful freedom for as long as possible.

This time, however, Ruby was the one who looked hesitant about the idea.

"I dunno, Weiss...after that fall you just took...no way you'll catch me!"

When Ruby took off in the opposite direction, Weiss laughed and set out in pursuit. Again, Ruby used a human pace - one that let Weiss _imagine_ she could catch up. And again, Ruby giggled like this was the funnest thing she'd ever done.

While it probably wasn't the funnest thing _ever_ , it was definitely the most fun Weiss had had in a very long time. And while she chased Ruby through a train filled with strangers, she realized just how much she'd missed this - whatever this was. Being silly and goofy and not caring about the trials and tribulations facing them at every turn. Acting like kids. Making up games just because they were bored on a train. Finding ways to laugh and have a good time together.

Most importantly, she'd missed spending time with Ruby. After what they'd gone through, she'd worried that the Ruby she knew was gone - but she was just proven wrong.

Deep down, Ruby was still that klutzy, innocent kid who ran into Weiss on the first day at Beacon. She still had a heart of gold and a smile that could lift anyone's spirits. Maybe things would never be the same, but the old Ruby was still in there, somewhere.

That, to Weiss, was the real win today.

(But she also beat Ruby in a footrace, for the record.)


	29. Flashing Lights - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary:** **Ruby pulls over a speeding driver.  
**

* * *

Quiet music played while sporadic chatter cut across the radio - different units checking in from various locations around the city. None of it pertained to Ruby though, not while she sat in her darkened squad car at the side of an isolated section of road people loved to speed through.

Surprisingly, it had been a pretty quiet night for her. A few speeders, but nothing outrageous. And, as she watched the clock click to 8 o'clock, she picked up her radio to sign off for the night.

"Dispatch, this is Officer Rose - 10-10 for the evening."

"10-26 Officer Rose."

Hanging up the radio and switching off the chatter, Ruby watched a truck pass by - the first vehicle she'd seen in several minutes. The driver probably didn't even notice her squad car parked behind a veil of trees, especially not with the sun now firmly below the horizon and all the lights off. But the truck was only going a little over the speed limit - nothing that she was going to worry about now that she was off duty.

Excitement built in her chest now that the day was done. While she loved the energy and sometimes borderline-chaos of her job, sometimes she enjoyed the occasional mellow day. If her job was _all_ chaotic days, no way she'd survive. Probably not many of them could. That's why days like these were important - along with any other ways they found to cope with the stress.

Once she was ready to go home, she reached over to flip on the lights of the car but suddenly stopped. She immediately turned off the radio - perpetually playing the Top-40s in the background - in order to pinpoint the noise.

The sound was recognizable anywhere, but especially in the darkness along a stretch of quiet road.

It was the roar of an engine - an engine being prodded to work _much_ harder than necessary. Looking in the rearview mirror, Ruby barely glimpsed headlights before the vehicle flew past her at a high rate of speed.

The car was silver and _clean_ \- so clean it sparkled under the budding moonlight. It was also driving a bit too fast for Ruby's liking, which was confirmed when the radar popped up a number fifteen over the limit. So, even though she was technically off duty, she sprang into action. Flip on the lights - put the car in drive - and tear out of her hiding spot in pursuit of the vehicle.

The roar of the squad car's engine filled her ears while she soared down the road, quickly catching up to the sports car by lieu of going much faster than just fifteen over. By now, the driver had to notice the flashing lights behind them, especially in the darkness when they looked more like red and blue strobe lights.

Secretly, Ruby always kind of wished that they'd run. But car chases were dangerous, usually ended badly, and didn't happen all that often (fortunately?).

So, as per the norm, the sports car quickly slowed down when the driver noticed the police car in their rearview mirror. They turned on their turn signal to let Ruby know they were pulling over and then pulled into the small parking lot of a park bordering this quiet section of road.

When the car stopped in the parking lot, Ruby pulled her car up behind them before placing her vehicle in park and unbuckling her seatbelt. After grabbing her flashlight and notebook, she took a deep breath and stepped outside.

The sports car was idling now - the engine giving off a throaty purr. While walking to the driver's side window, Ruby noted again how remarkably clean the car was - it looked recently washed _and_ waxed, which only made the expensive vehicle even more impressive.

When Ruby made it to the driver's side door, the window was already rolled down. Lifting her flashlight to take a quick look inside, she found that the driver of the vehicle was…

Drop dead gorgeous, to put it simply. She had long white hair that was perfectly styled in a cascade of waves and slight curls, piercing blue eyes, manicured fingernails, and was currently wearing a shimmering, silver dress with a plunging neckline that gave Ruby a great view of...well, a lot.

"Good evening, ma'am," Ruby said, feeling her cheeks heat up while forcing her eyes to remain on the driver's face. "Do you know how fast you were going?"

"Probably a few over the limit?" the woman responded. She smiled at what was very clearly a lie, and the smile made Ruby's heart skip several beats.

Ruby wasn't normally the type to fall for a pretty face, but...she'd never met someone so pretty before.

"How about fifteen over?" she replied, trying to feel out how this conversation might go. Would the driver be accepting or argumentative? That determined the tactics she needed to take in response.

" _Exactly_ fifteen over?" the woman said before giving an impressed nod. "Funny, that's precisely what I was going for."

Ruby very nearly laughed at the unorthodox response, but managed to hold just a smile while struggling to remain professional.

"May I see your license and registration?"

"Absolutely." When the driver leaned towards the glove compartment, Ruby nearly groaned out loud - discovering that the back of the dress was...nonexistent, providing an unhampered view of soft, smooth skin and the hint of hidden muscles.

She tried not to stare - she really did. But the woman seemed to be having difficulty finding her registration by the way she shuffled around in the glove compartment for a few minutes. Eventually, she found what she was looking for and turned back to Ruby with a smirk suggesting she knew exactly what Ruby was just doing.

"Here you go," the woman said regardless, handing her license and vehicle registration out the window. Taking both, Ruby looked first at the license for a name.

"Weiss Schnee," she read aloud before matching the picture on the license with the woman in front of her. It was the same person, although one was much more seductively dressed than the other. "Are you in a hurry to get someplace, Miss Schnee?"

"Please call me Weiss," the driver responded with a smooth smile. "And no, not particularly. I was just...out for a drive."

The answer didn't match up with the dress Weiss wore, but Ruby decided to let that slide while checking the name on the vehicle registration. Finding that they were one and the same, she handed the documents back to Weiss and smiled.

"Schnee as in Schnee Industries?" she asked while Weiss took the papers and dropped them onto the passenger seat - giving Ruby yet another glimpse of a way-too-attractive back in the process.

"That would be the one." Turning back to Ruby, Weiss set her hands on the steering wheel and smiled. "I'm guessing you've heard the name through the donations we make to the department?"

That wasn't _exactly_ how Ruby knew the name, but it was how she knew that the Schnee family was borderline untouchable by the police. Unless a high profile or egregious crime was committed, they weren't to be messed with. It definitely wasn't worth issuing a speeding ticket, especially when Weiss hadn't been driving _that_ fast.

"I'll let you off with a warning today," Ruby finally replied, accidentally dropping her gaze for a second and blushing when Weiss smirked at the slip-up. "But please remember that speed limits are there to keep both you and other people safe."

"Understood. Thank you." When Weiss smiled at Ruby, it was almost smug - like she'd just won some type of prize. "May I ask you one question, Officer?"

A tingle of thrill ran down Ruby's spine at the way Weiss said the word, which sounded intentionally flirtatious. When she nodded, Weiss motioned Ruby closer to the window.

Stepping up to the vehicle, Ruby leaned a little closer, and a little closer still as Weiss' finger beckoned her nearer. It was only when she practically put her head into the vehicle that Weiss leaned close enough to whisper in Ruby's ear.

"You look _so hot_ right now."

The words and the feeling of Weiss' breath gently tickling her ear made Ruby's eyes flutter as a deep desire sprang up in her chest. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who felt it - because the next second, Weiss grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her into the vehicle for a rough kiss.

Ruby immediately responded, leaning further through the window and opening her mouth to accept Weiss' deepening kisses, all while weaving her hand through perfectly-styled white hair and feeling hands roving across her chest.

"Where'd this dress come from?" she murmured against Weiss' lips, feeling them twitch upward with a smirk.

"I knew you'd like it."

Briefly breaking away from Weiss' lips, Ruby smiled and let her eyes drop for a few seconds - just long enough to fully appreciate her girlfriend's _stunning_ body - before returning to Weiss' amused gaze.

"Um, _yes_."

Quickly capturing Weiss' lips for another round of kisses - which became greedier and more ravenous by the second - Ruby felt herself slipping into an alternate dimension. The Weiss Dimension, she called it. The one where everything but Weiss ceased to exist. The one where it was just the two of them with no interruptions, no obligations, and no clothes (generally).

She liked The Weiss Dimension a _lot_. It was an escape - an oasis - heaven on earth. It was where she wanted to be when times were difficult, or when times were easy, or...anytime, really.

It helped that Weiss was absurdly attractive, and Ruby thanked the universe every day for letting her be the rookie cop tasked with 'babysitting' the wealthy heiress for a few days. The other officers thought Weiss was spoiled and would complain too much. Instead, she was super intelligent and knew exactly what she wanted.

And when she wanted Ruby, she got Ruby - before the end of the week.

That was the only time Ruby ever 'slept' on the job, so to speak...

"Want to go home now?" she asked, hearing the breathless sound of her voice and looking into heavily-dilated blue eyes that only made her feel more eager to end this adventure somewhere with a bed.

"Does this mean I get a police escort?" Weiss replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Hell yeah you do. Follow me."

Pressing one last kiss to Weiss' lips, Ruby jogged back to her squad car with a smile that grew when Weiss' musical laugh followed her. After hopping into the vehicle, she threw it in reverse, turned on the lights and floored it out of the small parking lot. Hearing the roar of an engine behind her, she decided to take the fast way home. She was pretty sure Weiss could keep up.

Hopefully for the rest of the night, too...


	30. Weiss is the Answer - WR

**Pairing: White Rose** **  
** **Summary: Ruby stumbles across something while studying (WDU add-on)**

* * *

Pausing the video on the enlarged tablet in her hands, Ruby scrolled back three seconds before pressing play again - this time at half speed. The chaotic action towards the end of the battle was impossible to decipher from the first couple of views, but now the intricate strategies were showing through - _revealing_ themselves to her, as she liked to say (putting emphasis on 'revealing' so that Weiss would blush).

If Ruby's injuries left her with anything, it was a never-ending sense of awe over what she and Weiss used to be capable of, as well as enthusiasm to regain their previous skills and become _even better_ than before. But the only way to get there was more studying and more practicing - two activities she'd become something of an expert at.

The videos from the combat room - remnants of times past - sent her already-kind-of-obsessive level of studying into the stratosphere. _Years_ of saved simulations were stored on the computer's brain, covering almost every combat move their team ever used. After months of intense studying, Ruby still hadn't made a dent in the sheer volume of new content available to her.

Not that she wasn't trying! The portable tablet she used to analyze the videos was practically glued to her hand these days. Weiss had made a joke about how Ruby should just wear a permanent backpack to carry it around. They both laughed, but...they both knew it was a good idea too.

"Oh!"

Spotting something in the midst of the video, Ruby tapped the pause button as fast as possible. After scrolling backwards a half of a second, she stared at the still image on the screen, trying to commit it to memory.

Their fighting style was rooted in shapes - squares, circles, triangles - that were repeated and combined in different sequences to form patterns. Patterns had to account for a wide variety of variables while remaining flexible enough to react to changes in the battle at hand. One thing Ruby struggled with at the moment was picking out what was a part of the pattern and what was actually a break from it.

 _This_ was a break in the sequence. And, as usual, Ruby's answer lay in Weiss.

Because _obviously_ Weiss was the answer to everything, but also because her body language _told_ Ruby that this was a break in pattern. She knew it from the way Weiss' right hand clenched by her side while the inkling of a glyph appeared at her left.

Setting the tablet down, Ruby grabbed her pen and jotted down her most recent observation.

Weiss had a lot of little tells like this - tiny, nearly-undetectable quirks that gave away her thoughts, feelings, or - in this case - the additional intensity that came with leaving pre-set plans behind.

The more time they spent together, the more of these little gestures Ruby discovered. She didn't think they were bad! She _loved_ uncovering these little secrets. It meant she knew Weiss better than anyone else, and she loved knowing Weiss better than anyone else.

After finishing her most-recent note, Ruby played the end of the video and smiled when they beat the simulation.

"You did great!" the video-version of herself told Weiss, whose chest heaved from the exertion of the battle they just put themselves through.

"You flatter me," Weiss replied in a dry yet gently-appreciative tone. It was the tone that said 'thank you' without actually saying 'thank you.'

"Of course I do! You're amazing."

While the video-version of Ruby said the words, she took a step closer to Weiss and set both hands on Weiss' hips. They were going to kiss - Ruby _knew_ they were going to kiss - but the recording ended righttttt when video Ruby leaned in.

Figures.

Even though she didn't get to see the kiss happen, real-life Ruby's chest filled with butterflies at the thought of it.

Kissing Weiss was one of her favorite things in the world. It was better than cookies, better than ice cream, better than _everything_. Well, except for a couple of things...but those were packaged together with kissing so didn't count.

Looking up from the tablet, Ruby smiled at Weiss, who looked super adorable reading the book she picked up the other day. Her eyes were trained to the page while she slouched (Weiss was slouching!) against the back of the sofa. She'd pulled her legs up onto the cushion, looking incredibly relaxed while her right knee lightly rested against Ruby's leg.

Their evenings were normally spent like this - the two of them sitting in the living room reading or studying or talking after another practice in the combat room. Sometimes they studied together, but oftentimes Weiss let Ruby go through her initial analysis alone before the two of them went through everything at the end. In the meantime, Weiss was content waiting for Ruby to finish - and Ruby was content as long as Weiss was nearby.

These days, Ruby understood how Yang could be quiet in Blake's company but no one else's. Because to Ruby, being around Weiss was...calming, in a way. They didn't need to fill up every second with sound. They didn't need to be in constant motion. They could just...be.

Deciding to wait a little longer before bugging Weiss (for 'strategy debriefing,' but also for a kiss), Ruby clicked on the next video on the list. While it loaded up - displaying a time on the screen that was a short while after the events of the previous video - Ruby put her pen to paper and prepared to write down her initial thoughts and reactions in real time.

The video started in the same meadowy-landscape as the last one, which provided an easy terrain for practicing new strategies before throwing obstacles like trees and boulders into the mix. Ruby really liked this landscape - it looked like a great place to have a picnic or just lay in the grass finding shapes in the clouds (assuming the combat room could simulate clouds).

While the countdown to the start of the simulation began, the video-version of Weiss cleared her throat and pulled at the hem of her skirt.

"So that was…"

When Weiss' words trailed off, Ruby leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Awesome."

The two of them stayed in each other's space, staring into each other's eyes while having a conversation that would remain between the two of them. After coming to a conclusion of whatever discussion they were having, Weiss turned towards the computer and said "End simulation."

And then the video ended.

Confused by the brief recording, Ruby started it from the beginning and watched the entire thing again. After confirming that there was nothing more - that the video was actually just that little snippet - she went back and checked the recording times to see if maybe she'd missed something. She was watching sequentially, so she didn't think she had…

But there was a video missing?

But there _was_ a video missing!

Shooting another glance at Weiss - who calmly turned the page of her book, oblivious to Ruby's suddenly-racing thoughts - Ruby clicked through the screens while trying to match the two videos up to each other.

There was a gap between the recordings, which wasn't unusual. She'd found a couple of gaps before - about a half hour or so, which seemed like the perfect time to get a snack, some water, take a break, or tune up one of their weapons. But there'd never been such a short video _after_ the gap...

Watching the second video for a third time, Ruby tried to pinpoint what triggered all these questions in her mind. Hoping to find an answer, she zoomed in on the source of all her answers - Weiss. And when the video started again, she watched Weiss' mannerisms with hawk-like focus.

Weiss cleared her throat...tugged at her skirt...left her sentence unfinished…and was that a blush on her cheeks?

"No…" Ruby breathed out when she stumbled across the answer, her eyes widening at the implication.

"What is it?"

Looking up, Ruby found that she'd captured Weiss' attention with the word - and pretty blue eyes were now staring at her while waiting for an answer.

"Oh, nothing," Ruby fudged, watching Weiss' brow immediately arch at the clear lie. "I mean, totally nothing," she repeated before holding up the tablet and pointing to the screen. "But uh...were videos ever deleted from this?"

Sitting a little straighter, Weiss set her book on the coffee table before casually waving her hand.

"Sometimes we started simulations and were called away before finishing them - depending on how far we made it, we might've deleted those."

The answer made a lot of sense, so Ruby nodded. But that didn't explain the gnawing feeling of almost-certainty she had that _something else_ was actually to blame.

"So...we don't have any other videos?" Ruby asked, again watching Weiss closely for an answer. "Like maybe we moved them somewhere else?"

For a split second, it looked like Weiss wanted to say 'no.' Instead, she turned away and said, "What makes you ask that?"

The non-answer was as good as a confession in Ruby's book. Ever since Weiss realized she couldn't lie (Ruby knew her tell, after all), she'd developed the habit of answering questions with questions instead of lies. Either way, it meant Ruby's suspicions were right.

"Because there should be a video in between these ones," Ruby explained, her words falling out in a rush while showing the screen to Weiss. "I don't think we left the room, so there should be another one."

When Ruby pressed play and Weiss watched the screen-version of herself display all the traits of someone slightly embarrassed about something, she blushed.

"So?" Ruby prodded when the video ended and Weiss said nothing.

"So," Weiss repeated, clearing her throat and meeting Ruby's eyes. "Would you like something for dessert? We can go get ice cream."

When Weiss stood up to walk out of the room, Ruby jumped to her feet to prevent the attempted escape.

"Oh no no no - you can't distract me with ice cream!" When Weiss raised her brow again, Ruby waved her hands and shook her head. "Not this time! There are other videos lurking around somewhere, and I'm _pretty_ sure you know where."

For what felt like the longest time, Weiss stared - the type of stare she did when she was weighing her options and the possible outcomes.

"Is there any chance you'll forget this?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as if trying to calculate those odds herself.

"Uh, maybe if I hit my head hard enough?" Ruby joked. At least, she _thought_ it was a joke, but Weiss considered it a _little_ too seriously before eventually reaching out for Ruby's hand.

"Come with me."

Even though Ruby had already known that Weiss would tell her eventually, she squealed in excitement while Weiss pulled her out of the living room and led her downstairs.

"I figured you'd find out one of these days…" Weiss mumbled while they took the stairs one at a time (like Ruby always did when she walked with Weiss).

"And I did!"

And now Ruby _couldn't wait_ to see whatever Weiss was about to show her. Although, if the videos were what she thought they were…

Feeling her cheeks heat up, Ruby glanced at Weiss out of the corner of her eye.

"Uh, I mean, if you're ok with me seeing them?"

Weiss laughed at the question, shaking her head as they walked over to the podium that controlled the combat room in front of them.

"You've been ready for everything far earlier than me - I don't know why this would be any different." Turning to the side, Weiss gave Ruby a smile that made her heart skip a beat. "Plus, you're in these videos too. I think that gives you the right to know, don't you?"

As always, there was an opportunity for Ruby to back out - to say she wasn't ready or was willing to wait. She could say she wasn't prepared for _this_ piece of the past, and Weiss would smoothly direct them around the subject and lead them back upstairs.

But Ruby wanted to know what she and Weiss did between those two videos that was so 'awesome.' So instead of backing away from the past - which she rarely, if ever, did anymore - she kissed Weiss on the lips and smiled.

"I totally want to know!"

"Are you sure?"

"Weiss!"

Raising her hand in defeat, Weiss nodded towards the tablet still in Ruby's hand. After Ruby handed it over, Weiss attached it to the base before kneeling down and opening the small side panel in the base of the podium. The hollowed-out interior housed wires and various control panels that Ruby had checked out and tinkered with several times, so she watched with immense curiosity when Weiss pulled out a small maintenance keypad and started entering numbers.

"The day we met," Weiss murmured while inputting the date. "Our anniversary, our first kiss, our...other first, and the random day you picked so it would be 'hack proof.'"

Once Weiss finished the string of numbers (which Ruby committed to memory for future use), a menu popped up on the screen of the tablet. When Ruby stepped closer to look at it, she found that the pop-up was a list of videos - all of the videos she hadn't know she was missing.

"I recommend that you view these...discreetly…" Weiss said, her cheeks much redder than usual. She met Ruby's gaze for only a second before looking away, clasping her hands in front of her and looking unsure about what to do now.

Ruby, meanwhile, wasted no time pressing 'play' on the first entry on the list and watching the screen spring to life. As usual, it was her and Weiss in the combat room in their combat outfits. It looked like a simulation was about to start, but then -

But then -

As Ruby's cheeks reached a shade of atomic-red, she confirmed why these videos were hidden and then hidden before being hidden. They _should not_ be seen by anyone but her and Weiss.

But Ruby was on the 'gets to watch' list, and she was pretty dang happy about that at the moment.

"Uh...can I take these with me?" Ruby asked, pressing pause and gesturing towards the screen.

"Yes?"

Snatching the tablet from the stand, Ruby grabbed Weiss' hand and pulled the stunned girl towards the stairs.

"Ruby - are you really going to watch those?"

"Yup!" Glancing over her shoulder, Ruby grinned at the shocked expression on Weiss' face. "I've got more studying to do!"

With this information at her fingertips, she'd know _all_ of Weiss' tells in no time...


	31. Merry RWBY Christmas - BY and WR

**Pairing: Bumblebee and White Rose  
** **Summary: Team RWBY celebrates Christmas**

 **Hey everyone! I know this is late, but better late than never, right?**

* * *

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" Yang asked, scooting a little closer to Blake while asking the question.

When Blake smiled in response, Yang could've sworn the sun shone brighter outside their dorm room window - even though the sun was setting at the moment - and maybe a bird or two decided to brave the snow just to sing them a parting song.

"I did." Inching a tad closer, Blake allowed their knees to lightly touch near the edge of the bed and looked up at Yang through long, utterly-gorgeous lashes. "Did you?"

As Yang leaned nearer still, the scent of Blake's shampoo registered, and she felt the combined body heat they were beginning to share - heat that rose the longer the two of them occupied the same space. But Blake showed no signs of wanting to leave - and Yang definitely didn't want to leave. Instead, she threw on a bright smile that probably only showed a fraction of how happy she was in this moment.

" _Any_ day with you is a nice day," she answered, watching Blake's ears flicker with a fleeting display of surprise and delight. "Today was no exception."

The response was reassurance as much as it was the truth, because Yang knew that Blake needed to hear the words. Maybe if she said it enough - how much she loved having Blake as her partner, how much she loved spending time together - then someday Blake would fully believe it.

Today, Blake smiled at the words before glancing at her lap - where her fingers curled into loose fists before releasing.

"Maybe...I can give you your gift now?" she asked, looking up and catching Yang in another one of those piercing amber gazes.

"You don't have to give me anything -"

"I know, but I want to," Blake quickly replied, moving closer and casually resting her hand on top of Yang's thigh.

The gesture was casual for Blake, but Yang felt her heart climb in her chest in anticipation.

"Ok then," she said with a smile, hoping Blake couldn't hear the loud thumps her heart was making. "Ready when you are."

"Ok."

After briefly glancing away and taking a deep breath, Blake looked up at Yang - giving her that same look they'd been sharing for the past couple months while they danced around this particular moment. And Yang realized that it was finally here. The yearning and longing and _waiting_ was finally over.

When Blake leaned forward, Yang pressed forward to match, watching Blake's eyes fall shut while their lips moved just inches apart. Just a little closer and -

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Yang jolted back at the unexpected voice, and again when the door of their room slammed against the wall.

"Jesus, Ruby!" she shouted, holding a hand over her heart while shooting a look at Blake - who'd somehow found time to move a respectable distance away but hadn't yet willed the blush from her cheeks.

Understanding that Blake wouldn't make eye contact for at least the next few minutes, Yang shook her head and turned towards the open doorway. Even then, it took her several extra seconds to digest exactly what she was seeing there.

"Merry RWBY Christmas!" Ruby carried on with as much zeal and gusto as she'd used to throw the door open. "The day of the year to spread good cheer!"

While she said the words, she waved her hand through the air and scattered a handful of fake snowflakes in front of them.

"Uh, what're you doing?" After watching the snowflakes fall to the ground, Yang looked at Ruby - and Ruby's outfit. "And what are you wearing?"

"This?" Picking up the hem of her red and white skirt, Ruby waited for Yang to nod before grinning. "I'm Santa Ruby today!"

To prove that point, Ruby spun in a quick circle - showing them the red Santa's hat she wore along with the big, red bag she had slung over one shoulder.

"Oh…" Sharing a glance with Blake - who was, thankfully, more interested in what _was_ happening versus being embarrassed about what _almost_ happened - Yang chuckled and nodded towards Ruby's side. "Is Weiss supposed to be your elf?"

"She wishes," Weiss huffed, folding her arms across her chest. Her matching dark green and white ensemble _seemed_ to disagree with her, but…

"She's my helper!" Ruby declared with a smile that even Weiss couldn't say 'no' to. "Santa always needs a helper for Christmas."

"That's why he has elves," Blake pointed out, earning a glare from Weiss.

"Yeah, and you realize Christmas is kinda already over?" To make her point, Yang gestured towards the darkening sky outside their dorm window.

"Christmas is over when I say it's over!"

"Or when it hits midnight?" Yang added, sharing a look and smile with Blake.

"Stop being difficult," Weiss scolded her. "And listen to Santa."

The instant the words left Weiss' mouth, she shook her head and wrinkled her nose - just like Yang did.

"Uh Weiss, please never say that again."

"I don't plan on it."

"You guys!" Ruby interrupted with a whine. "Come on - Christmas is almost over and there's just one more thing I want to do!"

After looking at Blake, who shrugged, Yang turned back to Ruby and sighed. Whatever Ruby had planned was delaying her from receiving her gift from Blake, but...Blake might not be willing to give the same gift anymore anyway.

"Alright," Yang said, motioning for Ruby to talk. "Let's hear it, Santa Ruby and Tiny Weiss."

Yang grinned at the glare Weiss sent her way, but there was no time for a rebuttal before Ruby started talking.

"Ok, ok - last part of Christmas is…" Dropping the red bag on the ground, Ruby scrounged inside before grabbing ahold of something and looking up at Weiss. "Weiss, drumroll?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Make a drum sound!"

"Why would I do that?"

"Just - ok." Forgoing the theatrics, Ruby pulled her hand out of the bag to reveal a...container of icing and box of gingerbread pieces. "We're having a gingerbread house competition!"

"Making the houses or eating them?" Yang asked while Ruby pulled more supplies from her bag. "Because one of those is really unfair."

"Making them!" Ruby answered, handing several containers to Weiss with a smile. "Thank you, little helper!"

Weiss couldn't help but smile at Ruby while setting everything in neat piles on the floor between their beds - their unofficial dining room table.

"For you," Weiss murmured while setting a stack of gingerbread squares in front of Yang.

"Thank you, little helper!" Yang replied with a huge grin.

"Call me 'little' again and you won't see new years," Weiss replied with a scarily-perfect smile before setting a few more pieces in front of Blake.

Chuckling at the threat (just a _little_ nervously), Yang turned to Blake to see what she thought about this unexpected alteration to their evening.

"Sounds like fun, right?"

"I'm never made a gingerbread house before," Blake replied with a smile. "It's always looked like fun."

"Then it's settled. We're in!"

"Awesome!" Thrilled that her idea was turning out to be a success, Ruby clapped her hands before waving for everyone to take their seats around the table. "And _no big deal_ or anything, but there might be a _super awesome_ prize for whoever makes the best house."

"Super awesome?" Blake repeated, her ears twitching with curiosity.

"Yup! But it's a secret."

"Who decides the winner?" Yang asked while taking a seat on the floor to start building.

"I do! Because I'm Santa!"

Sharing one last amused look with Blake, Yang laughed and grabbed two squares of gingerbread to use as the bottom of her house and the first wall.

"Let me know if you need any help?" she offered to Blake.

"Thank you, but this seems...pretty intuitive."

Proving her point, Blake motioned down to her house, which already had four walls.

"Of course you'd be a pro at this," Yang replied with a smile. "Is there anything you aren't great at?"

Yang meant the compliment to be pretty all-encompassing, so it surprised her when Blake glanced away and shrugged.

"By the way," Ruby whispered into Yang's ear, making her jump and nearly crush her house in surprise. "You only have three minutes until the competition ends - go!"

"Seriously?" After looking at Ruby - who nodded pretty smugly - Yang turned to Weiss instead. "What gives, Weiss?"

"Just let her do her thing," Weiss muttered while piping another layer of icing onto her house and sticking several small gumdrops in the center.

Yang decided to listen to Weiss this time - but only because she wanted to win the competition and see what this super awesome prize was. If Weiss bought it, it could _actually_ be really awesome. If Ruby made it up, it could be...well, a lifetime hug or something. Not that that _wasn't_ awesome, but Yang already had five of those from Christmases past.

"Our competitors have _two minutes_ left!"

"Who are you talking to?" Yang asked while fitting a roof onto her house and drawing a smiley face in icing on top of it.

"Oh, uh, you guys, mostly."

"Mostly?" Looking up from her work, Blake caught Yang's eyes and flashed an amused smirk. "I don't think I want to know who the others are."

"What? Just - one and a half minutes left!"

Laughing at Ruby's impatience and the weird Christmas activity, Yang added as much red to her house as possible - because that was Ruby's favorite color, Ruby was deciding the winner, and Yang wasn't ashamed of using sisterly knowledge to her advantage. Although _everyone_ probably knew Ruby's favorite color by now…

For the next ninety seconds, she worked as fast as possible putting her gingerbread house together. Making one of these _without_ a time limit was hard enough - this was a straight-up challenge.

"Time! Hands where I can see them!"

Laughing at Ruby's order - which sounded very much like a hold up - Yang raised her hands in the air and checked out her competition.

For having never made a gingerbread house before, Blake built freaking _adorable_ one. The color scheme was white and purple, of course, with tiny windows and a short wall/fence edging in the yard. There was a purple gumdrop chimney, and some expertly-done snow drifts draping the roof - dusted with some purple sprinkles.

"Wow, Blake," Yang said, leaning over until her shoulder lightly grazed Blake's. "That looks fantastic!"

"Thank you." Looking up, Blake met Yang's eyes and smiled. "Yours is really good too."

Whenever Blake looked at Yang like this, it was easy for her to forget the rest of the room existed.

It was less easy to forget when a loud, tiny elf cleared her throat to get their attentions.

Begrudgingly turning away from Blake, Yang was fully prepared to tease Weiss about her subpar gingerbread house. That was, until she _saw_ Weiss' subpar gingerbread...mansion.

It was at least four times as big as Blake's or Yang's - a full three stories tall with iced-white _pillars_ standing in front. There was a chimney, icicles hanging from the eves, and a blue-gel _lake_ in the front yard.

"Uh, wow Weiss…"

"We should make these more often," Weiss said, capping her nearly-empty tube of icing and giving her creation a satisfied nod.

Ruby appeared over Weiss' right shoulder then, eyeing the gingerbread mansion before giving it a quick "Good!" and darting away. She then gave Blake's house a much longer inspection, which earned a thoughtful "hmm" before she finally knelt down by Yang's side.

"Look at all this red…" she whispered in awe, gently picking up the house and turning it around in front of her eyes.

"That's right, Ruby," Yang said, winking at Blake. "Look at all that _red_."

Blake chuckled at the clear appeal to Ruby's personal tastes, while Weiss shook her head and rolled her eyes.

After putting the house down, Ruby stood to the side and tapped her chin.

"Hmm…" she murmured, deliberating her answer for a second before saying, "Yang wins!"

While Yang pumped her fist in victory, Weiss' jaw fell open in shock.

"What?!" she asked (more like shrieked). "How could hers _possibly_ be better than mine? It's _tiny_ for one thing."

"It's the perfect elf-house, don't you think?" Yang cut in, picking up her house so Ruby looked at it again. "Wouldn't a cute little elf live so happily in here?"

Ruby's eyes darted to Weiss (which was just about the cutest thing ever) before her face lit up with a goofy smile.

"A little elf _would_ live really happily there!" she agreed. When Weiss huffed, Ruby quickly turned her way. "Sorry, Weiss. Yours is really amazing, but if I say it's the best, I'd be playing favorites! And Santa can't play favorites."

"So instead of objectively picking the house that's _clearly_ the best, you just won't pick mine because we're partners?"

"Pretty much!"

Weiss looked miffed by the response, but Ruby was already pulling her Santa's bag over to reveal the grand prize.

"Stand up, stand up," she directed everyone while removing a small bag and holding it behind her back. "Ok Yang - Blake gets to see your gift first, ok?"

"Uh, ok?"

"So turn towards her!"

Doing as told, Yang turned towards Blake and smiled - mostly because this was kind of ridiculous, but also because Blake looked so entertained by how ridiculous it was. Leave it to Ruby to make something uniquely silly and fun for them to do at the end of Christmas.

"Ok, now I'm going to put it in your hand," Ruby said, placing something between Yang's thumb and forefinger before appearing by her side. "On the count of three, hold it above your head! 'K? One...two...three!"

As soon as Ruby said 'three,' Yang held her prize above her head exactly as instructed. Blake looked up at it - and then immediately blushed and turned away.

Surprised by the response, Yang lowered her hand and found that...

She was holding a tiny bundle of mistletoe.

"Ruby!" she yelled, spinning around right as the door slammed shut, leaving just her and Blake in the room while Santa and the miniscule elf beat the heck out of dodge. Tossing the mistletoe on the floor, she heard a nervous chuckle slip out while her mind scrambled to find a way to erase the blush on Blake's cheeks.

"That's Ruby…" she said with a smile and shake of her head. "She's...well, she's dead as soon as I find her."

Thankfully, Blake laughed at the joke and met Yang's gaze.

"Good thing you'll never catch her," she teased. "I think we need our team leader."

"Yeah, you're right…" Yang grumbled, feeling better by the second as Blake inched closer, carefully stepping around their little houses. "I'm gonna have to yell at her later though."

"You could do that." Bending down, Blake plucked the mistletoe from the floor and twirled it between her fingers. "Or...you could thank her."

Holding the mistletoe above her head, Blake gave Yang one of the shiest, most unsure smiles she'd ever received.

Not one to leave Blake unsure about herself - and not one to deny the magic of mistletoe - Yang wasted no time leaning forward while Blake tilted her head up and let her eyes fall shut.

This time, there was no interruption - their lips met in a kiss. It was short and sweet, but it was the most perfect moment Yang could've imagined.

When the moment ended and Blake looked up at her with a smile, Yang realized that Ruby's prize was actually worth about a million times more than she initially thought.

"Merry Christmas, Yang."

"Merry Christmas, Blake," Yang replied with a grin that probably wasn't going away anytime soon. Not with Blake standing so close, not with the room to themselves, not with the afterglow of _their first kiss_ still sending shivers of exhilaration down her spine.

"So…" Blake said with the beginnings of a smirk, still twisting the small bunch of mistletoe between her fingers. "Would you like your gift now?"

That was the easiest question in the history of easy questions.

"Hell yeah."

While Yang made a show of bracing herself to get ready, Blake laughed - and then lightly grabbed the front of Yang's shirt to drag her into another kiss (or several more kisses…).

This was, officially, the best Christmas ever.

* * *

"So...how much do you think she's gonna kill me later?" Ruby asked, swinging her arms while the two of them walked across the freshly-shoveled paths outside.

"If everything goes as planned…" Weiss replied. "Probably not very much."

"Oh good." Letting out a big sigh and running her arm across her brow, Ruby smiled when the exaggeration made Weiss laugh.

"That was very thoughtful of you, you know."

"Yeahhh well...I can't stand them making googly-eyes at each other all the time! Like seriously - just kiss already!"

Weiss laughed at Ruby's exasperation - exasperation they'd shared over the past couple of months. Yang and Blake's perpetual 'googly-eyes' weren't annoying, however. It was more...entertaining, and gave her and Ruby a reason to spend more time together.

Why else would they have spent all afternoon shopping for supplies to make gingerbread houses, all while crafting an 'elaborate' plan that involved Weiss pretending to pitch a fit when her _clearly superior_ house wasn't chosen as the winner? And why else would she be wearing this ridiculous -

Actually, she liked the outfit. Dark green looked good on her.

"How much time do you think we should give them before going back?" Ruby asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Probably another half hour or so."

"At least it's nice out, right?"

"You're right."

With some time to spare before returning to the room, Weiss realized this was the perfect moment to unveil her contribution to this evening. So, she reached out for Ruby's hand and gently pulled the girl away from the path they'd been walking ever since sprinting away from their room a little while ago.

"In the meantime, I have something to show you."

"You do?"

"Yes." Even though Ruby was already willingly following, Weiss turned around and gave her partner a smile. "It won't take long."

Ruby made a noise of delight while the two of them headed towards the edge of the forest, where the lights of campus began to fade away. It wasn't long until they stood in front of a wall of black - the trees indistinguishable from darkness at this time of night.

"Here we are," Weiss said, double-checking that they were in the perfect spot before nodding to herself.

"Uh...it's the forest…"

"Wait for it."

Without dropping Ruby's hand, Weiss subtly reached for her scroll with her free hand and clicked the button on the side three times.

The outer wall of the forest suddenly lit up with an array of Christmas lights in all colors. White, blue, purple, green, and - most importantly - lots of red. Thousands of tiny lights sparkling amongst the evergreen branches like stars spending the night on earth instead of trapped in the night sky.

"Holy…"

Smiling at the single-word response, Weiss squeezed Ruby's hand and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Merry RWBY Christmas," she whispered before pulling away. Silver eyes quickly latched onto her - wide with awe, surprise, and delight.

"You did this for me?"

"Of course." Looking at the wall of colors in front of them, flickering in no particular order but managing to look spectacular regardless, Weiss smiled. "I hope you like it."

"Like it? Weiss, I love it!"

Even though she'd expected the response, it was still a relief to hear. She wasn't exactly great at this whole 'Christmas' thing, but she wanted to give Ruby something special. Something like those silly gingerbread houses she talked about incessantly for the past few weeks. Something bright, cheerful, extravagant, and...uniquely Ruby.

"I, uh, I got you something too."

Turning away from the lightshow in front of them, Weiss laughed when she saw Ruby holding a second sprig of mistletoe above her head.

"Ruby Rose," she said, mustering as much shock as possible. "Was this your plan the entire time?"

"You know it!" When Weiss stepped closer to her, Ruby lowered her arm to her side and grinned. "Did it work?"

Weiss rolled her eyes but looped her hand behind Ruby's neck and gently pulled her down for a kiss. It was slow, sweet, and meaningful - just like this day they'd spent together.

"Merry Christmas, Ruby," Weiss whispered, watching the lights from the forest illuminate the air between them.

Leaning forward, Ruby stole another kiss before grinning.

"Merry Christmas, world's most adorable elf."

While Ruby giggled in delight, Weiss sighed in fake exasperation and turned back towards the lights twinkling in the trees. When Ruby laced her fingers through Weiss' though, she smiled.

"Next year, you're the elf."


	32. Better Together - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: Weiss faces a day to herself with Ruby on a hunt with Yang.**

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything?" Weiss asked, watching Ruby tighten the laces on her boot before tying them in a bow.

"Yup!"

"Your scroll?" Weiss pressed. With both boots finally on, Ruby stood and patted her side pocket.

"Yup!"

"Emergency beacons?"

This time, Ruby tapped a different pocket. "Yup, got those too!"

"And your ring?"

Grinning at the question, Ruby held up her hand and showed Weiss the slim, silver band around her finger.

"Don't go anywhere without it," she said, at which point Weiss finally sighed and reached for Ruby's hand.

"Good. Don't you dare take that off."

"Never!"

"Good." Satisfied with the response, Weiss pulled Ruby close and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too! But we'll be back together in no time."

" _Ugh_. Guys, seriously, can you cut the sap already?"

Sighing at the intrusion on their moment, Weiss turned and rolled her eyes at Yang.

"Like you and Blake didn't do this before you came over here."

"Please. Blake's happy I'm out of the house for a day!" As soon as Yang said the words, her brow creased with realization. "Wait -"

"It'll be fun!" Ruby interrupted. "Sister hunt day! Just me and Yang knocking around some big, bad Grimm!"

"While the wives stay home," Yang added with a grin.

Rolling her eyes yet again, Weiss suddenly found herself wondering how she'd survived this long with Yang as a near-constant presence in her life. Realistically, one of them should've blown a gasket by now - instead, they saw each other a minimum of two times a week for team dinners.

As with everything else that had gone positively in her life, Weiss would credit Ruby for that feat.

"Message me if you think _anything_ is wrong," Weiss said, ignoring Yang's comment in favor of focusing on Ruby. "I'll be on the next airship to help."

"Jeez, Weiss," Yang scoffed while Ruby dutifully nodded. "You act like we'll be sitting ducks or something. You might not remember, but I've been taking care of Ruby long before you came into the picture."

"And now she'll take care of you," Weiss shot back before turning to Ruby. "Please be safe."

"I will, Weiss." Squeezing Weiss' hands, Ruby gave her a sincere expression that was impossible not to believe in. "Please don't worry! I could probably do this hunt alone - having Yang there is an added bonus."

When Weiss sighed, Ruby gave her a kiss before dropping her hands and heading out the door with Yang.

"We'll be back soon!" she called back, waving once before the door closed and the two hurried off. Within a few minutes, they'd be at the airship station, where an airship waited to whisk them to their destination in the forest.

Left alone in the empty house, Weiss physically felt the unusual silence wrap around her. Growing up, she was used to silence - she used to practice walking as quietly as possible to avoid unwanted attention. Now…

Well, the house was hardly ever silent with Ruby around.

"Maybe you can finally get some work done," Weiss told herself while walking into the living room and sitting at her desk. Sometimes, it was difficult to work at home because Ruby created an endless stream of distractions. Most were cute, many were adorable, but they all lessened Weiss' efficiency and increased the amount of time she spent entering reports.

Writing up their team's reports was a responsibility that had fallen to her because - as they so eloquently put it - she was the 'best, most awesome writer.' She wished she could say she hadn't fallen for the veneer of a compliment, but...she liked feeling valued. Plus, she was very particular about how the reports were submitted, so it made sense to do them herself.

After typing several sentences, however, her gaze was drawn to the sofa - currently empty, but perpetually Ruby's lounge for playing games on her scroll or designing new battle strategies.

Deciding that a little detour was in order, Weiss opened another window on the screen and loaded the tracking system she'd commissioned on Ruby's behalf.

More accurately, _for_ Ruby's behalf.

While Ruby's ring was a symbol of their love, it also served as a means for Weiss to keep tabs on the girl at all times. She rarely used it - why would she need to find Ruby when they were often in the same place? - but today seemed like a good day to make sure it was working like it should.

Once the tracking system loaded, Weiss found that Ruby was already above the forest and moving quickly away from the city. Based on the rate of speed, Ruby and Yang were still in the airship but about to jump out at their destination.

Satisfied with the check-in, Weiss minimized the tracking window and went back to finishing her report.

They went on a whirlwind of a hunt recently, and she still needed to detail the types of Grimm they'd encountered as well as estimate quantity, age, and prior locations. The report also requested an approximate sequence of events, amongst other questions.

Weiss enjoyed the more cerebral aspects of the reporting system but, most of all, she liked hypothesizing what the information was used for. Were migration patterns being built? Updated mapping software? Or were the powers-that-be just checking in and making sure they weren't doing anything crazy out there?

After completing one section of the report, Weiss checked the tracking screen again and found that Ruby was moving much slower now.

Understanding that Ruby and Yang were probably searching for their target right now - at this very moment - the undeniable feeling of adrenaline burst forth in Weiss' chest. Soon, they'd engage in a battle of unknown size or scale, with an unknown amount of enemies. They only had each other to rely on, so if something went wrong...

Weiss wasn't going to worry. She promised that she'd be fine, and that's what she'd try to be. Nevermind that she and Ruby had gone on every hunt together since their days at Beacon, or that they'd never fought a battle without one another since they moved in together. She knew Yang was capable, and she knew Yang would protect Ruby and vice versa. Still, she felt...restless.

Maybe she needed a distraction.

Grabbing her scroll, she composed a message to Blake. Nothing fancy, just a quick 'How are you doing?'

She didn't have to wait long for a response - her scroll chimed with an incoming message only seconds later.

'I already finished the book I wanted to read today.'

Weiss chuckled at the message, which was so like Blake. With Yang gone for the day, of course she'd throw herself into reading. At this pace, however, she'd finish a dozen books today.

'They'll be back soon,' Weiss sent as reassurance, although they both knew that it would be several more hours before their partners returned home.

'I know.'

Before Weiss could respond to that message, another one appeared on the screen.

'I kind of blame you for this.'

Sighing at the response, Weiss typed back 'me too' before setting her scroll on the desk.

This was, in a way, her fault. She was the one who - jokingly - pointed out that the two sisters never left their partner's sides. And she was the one who - teasingly - suggested that _maybe_ the reason for that was that Yang and Ruby needed their partners to keep them safe. It was all in good fun until they latched onto the idea and spun it into a sisters-day-out. Now, Weiss and Blake were stuck on the sidelines while their partners took part in a hunt without them.

Weiss really needed to keep her mouth shut sometimes…

Turning her attention back to the computer, she checked Ruby's location one more time - another quick break before she went back to work. The tracker in Ruby's ring was moving quickly but within a small, contained area. While Weiss couldn't pick out the exact patterns from this software, she knew that the battle was underway.

That knowledge didn't exactly make it _easier_ for her to focus on the hunt report, but she did her best to answer the next couple of questions with as much detail as possible.

If the hunt description was to be believed, Ruby and Yang were probably fighting Beowolves and a few Ursa. Of course, intel was often wildly wrong. For all Weiss know, it was Death Stalkers and King Taijitus instead. Or it was _everything_ \- the entire forest collapsing in around them.

"They'll be fine," she muttered, forcing herself to start typing and stop worrying. Yang and Ruby weren't kids anymore - they were exceptionally trained, exceptionally skilled huntresses. Combined, they were a powder keg of damage. And, if they got into a tricky situation, Yang could level an entire acre of forest to buy time.

Yet Weiss was still worried...and a little jealous that she didn't get to participate.

By the time she made it through another section of their report - a struggle that took far longer than it should have - Ruby's location had moved to another part of the forest. Without seeing the action, Weiss could only guess the reason. Maybe they needed better terrain to fight on? Maybe the battle had naturally moved in that direction? Or maybe they were following a particularly feisty Grimm?

"This is ridiculous."

Giving up on her work - which, just this morning, she'd been so certain she could finish - she decided to make herself something to eat. Not that she was particularly hungry, but it would give her something to do that wasn't wishing she was out there with Ruby. Of course, the act of making food was bound to make her think of Ruby even more, but -

When her scroll suddenly chimed - the unique, unmistakable sound Ruby had chosen for herself - Weiss all but dove across the desk to grab the device. Her heart raced and concern flooded her veins - but that all disappeared when she read Ruby's message.

'Can you come out here? I miss you, and Yang won't stop whining about Blake.'

"Oh thank Grimm," Weiss breathed before typing a hasty 'yes' and flying towards the front door. She'd worn a combat-ready outfit this morning for a reason - secretly hoping this would happen - and had left Myrtenaster in hall closet for quick retrieval.

Ready in under five seconds, she was already out the door when she dialed Blake.

"I'm waiting at the station for you," Blake said as soon as the call connected.

"What - how are you already there?" Weiss asked while hurrying that direction.

"I've been sitting here since they left."

"You knew they'd cave?" With the airship station in sight, Weiss picked up her pace and hurried across the street. "How?"

"I didn't give Yang a goodbye kiss."

Rushing into the airship station, Weiss raced between the exiting passengers and made it to their usual platform. When she found Blake already standing there - fully prepared for the hunt - she put her scroll away.

"You're a genius."

Hiding a smug smile, Blake motioned for Weiss to follow her onto the waiting airship. As soon as the two of them hurried aboard, the ship took off and flew towards their destination.

While this hadn't been the plan this morning, Weiss was more than satisfied with the end result. Maybe Yang and Ruby could go to a movie or an arcade on their own...


	33. Ink - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee**  
 **Summary:** **Blake and Yang get tattoos**

 **(I forgot to post this...)**

* * *

"What do you think about this one?" Pointing towards a picture hung on the wall, Yang turned to Blake for approval. Or, in this case, a shrug and an expression that clearly said 'meh.'

"No?" Yang asked, taking another look at the drawing of some foreign symbol she couldn't even read before moving away. If Blake didn't approve, then it wasn't happening - no way was she choosing something Blake didn't love. Not when it was permanent.

"What about this one then?"

This time, a realistic-looking black panther caught her eye. Tilting her head to the side, she imagined the prowling creature taking up residence on her shoulder, looking fearsome and sleek with its perfect curves and amber eyes -

"I hope you have a good reason for picking that one."

When Yang turned around and found matching amber eyes watching her closely, she flashed a confident smile and waved her hand.

"I've loved panthers for like - forever," she fudged. "They're powerful and...sexy."

From the way Blake's ears flicked, she hadn't fallen for the lie. However, it _was_ an indirect compliment, so she let it slide.

"I was thinking something more like this," she replied, crossing the room and putting her finger beside a drawing of a yellow dragon. Its tail curled intricately around itself while a hint of smoke unfurled from its nostrils, but, overall, it was pretty...mellow.

"Are you saying I'm a cute, little dragon?"

Yang thought Blake would scoff at the question; instead, she smiled and gently stroked the picture hanging on the wall.

" _My_ little dragon..." she whispered as she did so, and Yang instantly lost any resistance to the idea of having a dragon live on her skin forever.

"Done." When Blake looked at her, Yang smiled and nodded. "That's what I'll get - I'll get this little guy on my shoulder." After motioning towards the spot on the back of her shoulder that they'd both decided upon, she waved towards the rows of pictures they just walked through. "What about you? Find what you want yet?"

As soon as Blake sighed, Yang had her answer.

"Nothing really sticks out to me."

"Remember, you can get _anything_ you want," Yang prodded. "These are just examples to help give you ideas."

Sensing another sigh on the horizon, Yang took Blake's hand and led the girl back towards the front of the tattoo parlor where they'd decided to get their first (and probably only) tattoos together.

"Maybe you should get the panther," Yang suggested, again stopping in front of the creature that reminded her of Blake in multiple ways. "Then it'll be like...we're getting our spirit animals."

"You think a panther is my spirit animal?"

When Blake sounded genuinely surprised, Yang laughed and squeezed her hand.

"Cunning, silent, quick, and drop-dead gorgeous," Yang checked off the fingers on her free hand before grinning. "Yup, sounds about right."

'Hmm'ing at the response, Blake gave the drawing a longer look, analyzing the details while trying to decide whether it was worthy of such an irrevocable decision. While she did that and Yang waited patiently for whatever the response would be, the door beside them opened and an employee walked out.

The open doorway released a buzzing sound into the waiting area - an intermittent _bzz bzzz bzzzz_ that caught both of their attentions. When Blake leaned to the side, Yang followed her lead so the two of them could peek into the room beyond.

The girl who'd arrived before them had her arm laying across a table while a man holding what looked like an oversized pen worked on a patch of color on her wrist. The machine emitted the buzzing sound whenever he pressed it to her skin - and she cringed when he did so. And it wasn't a 'wow that joke was bad' type of cringe…it was more like a 'please don't remove the skin from my arm' type of cringe.

Thankfully, the door closed then, blocking the concerning sight from view. In the few seconds of silence that followed, Yang tried to think of a joke, but Blake spoke up first.

"I thought you said this doesn't hurt," she said, looking at Yang with an expression that silently demanded an explanation for what they just saw.

"I mean - yeah, that's what Nora said."

"Did that look like it didn't hurt?"

When Blake motioned towards the closed door and the now-muffled buzzes coming from within, Yang knew there was no arguing with the observation. That poor girl was _clearly_ in pain.

"Maybe she's just a wimp?" Yang offered, but immediately shook her head when Blake pursed her lips. "Ok, so maybe it hurts a little bit. It's probably not that bad, and it'll be over before you know it! Right?"

Before Blake had the opportunity to respond, another door opened and an employee stepped into the waiting area.

"Blake Belladonna?" the man read from a pad of paper before looking at the two of them. "Which one of you is Blake?"

When Blake stiffened at the question, Yang knew she had to do something - but what? Lie and say that she was Blake? Lie and say that _neither_ of them was Blake?

"Uh…"

"How long has it been?"

"Twenty seconds."

Nodding at Blake's answer, Yang held still for a little while longer. She didn't know if it was _super_ important for her to remain absolutely motionless, but she aired on the side of caution and didn't move a muscle for the next ten seconds.

Once ten seconds were up, she set the damp washcloth on the desk before slowly peeling the small piece of paper away from Blake's shoulder. As she did so, a smile appeared at the sight she saw.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. Taking a deep breath, she blew on the area for several seconds before leaning away with a smile. "It came out really well."

After running her thumb across the black and yellow bee now residing on the back of Blake's shoulder, she moved out of the way so that Blake could see her new 'ink' in the mirror.

"What do you think?"

For a few seconds, Blake didn't say a word. Instead, she stared at her reflection while moving back and forth to examine the little bee from every angle. Apparently she liked what she found, because she met Yang's gaze through the glass and smiled.

"It looks good."

"And now we match!" Yang added, turning around and pulling down her sleeve to show an identical bee placed in the same spot as Blake's. "We'll be the cool kids with matching tattoos -"

"Who just run out of a real tattoo parlor because they were afraid -"

"Shhhh." Pressing a finger to Blake's lips, Yang laughed and shook her head. "No one needs to know about that. All they need to know is that we -" Gesturing between them, she grinned. "Are awesome."

With that said, the two of them looked in the mirror and marveled at the spots of black and yellow marking their shoulders - for now. According to the package, the tattoos would last for about three days -

"You realize Weiss and Ruby will notice when these wear off," Blake commented. "Then they'll know we chickened out."

"We didn't chicken out. We decided that we needed more time to think about it before making such a big decision." When Blake playfully rolled her eyes at the answer - looking not at all upset about how things had worked out - Yang gave her a kiss and smiled. "Plus, that's what these are for."

Grabbing a plastic sleeve from the desk, Yang held up a package filled with identical bee tattoos - four hundred and fifty of them, to be exact.

"We're gonna be temporary-tattoo pros in no time!"


	34. Unpacking - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Weiss tries to get Ruby to unpack on their free day.**

* * *

"Annnnnd done!" After closing the cupboard door, Ruby spun around and smiled. "See? Told you I could clean up in under five minutes!"

"Very impressive," Weiss replied with one of those hidden smiles she often wore. "And with time to spare."

"You know it! Now I'm ready to tackle the day!" Hands on hips, Ruby struck her 'hero' pose in the middle of their kitchen. She knew it always made Weiss laugh when she did this, and today was no exception.

"And what are you going to 'tackle' first?" Weiss asked after her soft laughter subsided.

"Uhh..." Looking around the kitchen for ideas while Weiss walked over to join her, Ruby came up with nothing.

It wasn't often they had several free days in a row, which meant it wasn't often that she searched for ways to entertain herself. Normally, they were running to hunts, events, and practices with no time for anything but eating and sleeping in between. With so much free time on their hands, they could do _anything_. Anything at all. Anythingggg at all. _Whatever_ they wanted...

"I dunno," she said, giving up that hopeless quest. "Any ideas?"

As soon as she asked the question, she wanted to grab it out of the air and stuff it back in her mouth.

"Of course I do," Weiss replied with a scoff, as if finding it particularly amusing that Ruby thought she wouldn't have a super long list of boring, productive things to do. "You can finally empty those boxes sitting in the living room."

"l thought you liked seeing those! They remind you that we moved in together, right?"

"That was over a year ago, Ruby." Even though Weiss attempted a stern expression, she still _kind of_ smiled while running her hand through Ruby's hair. "Now it reminds me that everytime I ask you to unpack them, you miraculously come up with a way to avoid it."

"Just like I _miraculously_ got someone like you in my life?"

"Nice try," Weiss said, chuckling and shaking her head. "Come on - I'll help you."

"You mean you'll supervise."

"I love you," Weiss replied, leaning onto her tiptoes to kiss Ruby before taking her hand and pulling her into the living room. Near one wall, behind the sofa where they often cuddled together, sat a _small_ amount of boxes left from move-in day. It wasn't that many, really! The first stack was only three boxes tall and...there were only three stacks, so…

"Guess it wouldn't hurt to unpack one of them," she muttered while flopping down in front of the responsibility she'd avoided for so long. Even though this was technically 'working' on their day off, it was hard to be upset when Weiss sat down beside her. Any time they spent together was a great time, regardless of what they did.

"Ok, let's see what we got." Pulling the first box over, Ruby tore off the tape, flipped open the lid, and gasped.

"My Grimm Battle cards!" she exclaimed while grabbing the stack of playing cards from the top of the box. "l totally forgot these were in here!" Feeling Weiss lean closer to see, Ruby pulled the top card and held it over. "Look at this!"

"Wow, is that a Four-Winged Nevermore?"

"I have the Four-Clawed too!" Ruby said, passing the second card to Weiss. "Aren't they cool?"

"You have the Four-Winged and Four-Clawed? Wow. Your aerial attack must've been unbeatable."

"It was!" Sorting through the rest of the cards, Ruby smiled to herself while remembering all of the time she spent with them. "I always beat Yang with aerial - she'd get so mad...of course, she always beat me on the ground so..."

Trailing off, Ruby felt her brow furrow when she realized something _kind of_ important.

"Wait..." Turning towards Weiss, who looked at her with curiosity, Ruby pointed to the cards in her hands. " _You_ played Grimm Battle?"

For the briefest of moments, surprise flitted through Weiss' eyes. The emotion disappeared almost instantly, of course, as she scoffed and casually passed the Nevermore cards back to Ruby.

"That game was extremely popular when we were growing up. I've heard of it."

"It _was_ popular," Ruby agreed, but she knew better than to fall for Weiss' well-spoken diversions - they worked the first million times, but not anymore. "But you know the cards," she pointed out. "And you know the combat types."

"We're huntresses. Of course I understand that a four-clawed Nevermore is more dangerous than one with only two."

"Weiss..."

If Ruby had an ultimate ability, it wasn't her silver eyes. No, her most powerful ability was, as she called it, 'The Tone.'

Whenever she used The Tone - which was something of a plea, something of a sincere request - Weiss forfeited the current argument. It was _overpowered_ , but also had a long recharge time, so Ruby tried not to use it too often. Learning about Weiss' potentially-nerdy past though? That seemed like an excellent moment.

"Ok," Weiss replied, folding like the stack of cards in Ruby's hands. "I also had Grimm Battle cards when I was young." For a second, she looked almost forlorn by the admission, but she quickly brushed the feeling away with another wave. "But it's not like I ever played," she added. "It was far too childish. I just liked looking at the cards and reading about Grimm."

By now, Ruby had known Weiss for a long time. Partners all through school, partners all out of school - they knew each other better than anyone else in their lives. Which meant that Ruby knew a lot of the reasons why Weiss reacted the way she did. And normally when Weiss got prickly or brushed Ruby off, it meant they were close to a subject she avoided thinking about - and those mostly had to do with her childhood.

"They _are_ nice to look at!" Ruby replied, making sure not to address the situation head on. Instead, she looked at the cards and flipped through them one-by-one. "The artwork is super good too. Think one person did it? Or did they hire like...a fleet of artists?"

"It was a group of four, but special editions were made by popular artists at the time."

Nodding at the response, Ruby quickly glanced at Weiss before looking away.

"Oh, that makes sense," was all she said before continuing through the stack. She _wanted_ to point out that only a _true_ Grimm Battle fan would know that information, but she didn't. Instead, she waited.

She waited, and she silently refused to change the subject. If this was something Weiss really didn't want to talk about, she would change the subject, and Ruby would accept that. But she wouldn't change the topic on her own...not if Weiss had more to say.

"I really like the Taijitu one," Ruby added, holding up the card for Weiss to see.

"I like that one too," Weiss replied with a fleeting smile. Her expression then grew a little less certain, and a little sadder, as she looked towards her hands. "My father said games were beneath me," she finally admitted while picking at an invisible piece of lint on her sleeve. "That only a commoner would play such things. Winter secretly bought the cards and gave them to me, but I...I never exactly had anyone to play it with."

There was a lot to unpack in the confession. That Weiss wanted to play the game but couldn't. That she learned how to play anyway. That she still remembered to this day.

"So you never played?" Ruby asked gently.

"I played plenty," Weiss said, giving Ruby a sad smile. "I set up games against myself."

Ruby's heart broke right in half at the response, but Weiss hurried forward.

"Don't worry," she said, this time with a somewhat-brighter smile. "It means I've never lost."

Biting her lip and looking at the cards in her hands, Ruby thought about the Grimm battles she and Yang had waged. The laughs, the arguments, the pouting and triumph. To think that Weiss missed out on that...well, Ruby knew that Weiss had missed out on a lot during her childhood. Thankfully, they could make up for it in the present.

"Weiss," Ruby said, scooting over and pulling Weiss into a sideways hug. "One, we both know your dad is the biggest idiot on the planet." Once Weiss scoffed at the response, Ruby continued. "And two...do you want to play Grimm Battle with me?"

Weiss, like Ruby, was a child at heart. She just hid it better on most days.

"If you're ok with losing," Weiss replied, and when she smiled - a real, fully-powered smile - Ruby felt her excitement return.

Now that another piece of Weiss' past was out in the open, they could move forward and mend some of the damage that had been done - together, which was how they did everything anyway.

"Totally ok with losing. My record isn't nearly as good as yours." Scrounging through the box for any loose cards, Ruby gasped when she found a second deck underneath an old book. "And I have Yang's set too!"

"Then I'm taking yours," Weiss said, grabbing Ruby's cards from her hand. She wanted to protest but...Weiss looked really excited to finally get to play, after all this time...

"Seems fair," she said instead. Turning around, she sat cross-legged in front of Weiss so they could set up a game. "That way we both don't know what we're doing."

"Speak for yourself. I already have three different strategies for how I'm going to beat you.

Watching Weiss sort through and rearrange the cards like a pro, Ruby laughed.

"I can't believe you're a Grimm Battle nerd. How did I not know that?"

"Maybe you don't know everything about me yet," Weiss replied, slipping two cards into the middle of her hand before smiling at Ruby overtop of them.

"Were you secretly a super big Grimm Trivia fan too?"

"You'd still love me even if I was."

The assuredness behind Weiss' answer filled Ruby with a giddy, adoring feeling she could never get enough of.

"You're right," she answered with a nod and big smile. "I' love you even more!"

When Weiss smiled back at her, Ruby absorbed as much of the expression as possible before looking at the stack of cards in her hands. Since they were Yang's, she had no idea what kind of army she could build. Yang normally went big and tanky though...so that's what Ruby would try to do too. She knew Weiss had those Nevermores, which would suck to deal with, but maybe if she drew them out early, she'd have a chance...

"Ruby?"

"Yeah?" Looking up from her work, Ruby smiled when she found Weiss watching her. "What's up?"

"Thank you."

There were so many ways Ruby wanted to respond to the gratitude - that Weiss didn't need to thank her, ever. That she was only doing what any good girlfriend or partner would do. That she cared for Weiss more than anything in the world, so of course she searched for ways to make life easier for the both of them.

But Weiss already knew all of that. So instead, Ruby smiled and said, "You're welcome," before gesturing towards their game.

"You ready to play?"

Holding up her cards, Weiss gave them one last look before nodding.

"Yes," she said before suddenly lowering her hand and sighing. "Wait…"

"What is it?" Ruby asked.

"You're _never_ going to unpack those boxes, are you?"


	35. Same Old, Same Old - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: Weiss discovers Ruby's secret to keeping calm whenever giving a speech.**

 **This is more on the PG-13 side versus my usual PG - just a head's up!**

* * *

There were few things Weiss enjoyed more than watching Ruby work her 'magic' on a crowd of strangers. Something about it - whether it was the way her smiles put them at ease, or the way she laughed and convinced them to open up and start talking - never ceased to amaze.

It didn't feel like that long ago that Ruby asked Weiss to do the talking. Now...she buzzed around the room on her own, helped in most part by a burgeoning confidence and self-assuredness that few could fake and even fewer actually possessed.

"Excuse me, Miss."

Torn from her observation, Weiss felt a slight scowl appear while turning towards the unwanted interruption.

"Would you like a drink?" the waiter asked, offering his tray covered in wine glasses.

Shaking her head and uttering a soft "no, thank you," Weiss turned away and searched for Ruby amongst the crowd. Unfortunately, her view was now obstructed by a group of recent arrivals, which gave her reason to grumble at the waiter who was only doing his job.

Fortunately, the obstacles noticed the tables of food on the far side of the venue and quickly moved on. Content with the return of her view, Weiss leaned back and smiled when Ruby convinced another important-looking gentleman to laugh. It looked effortless for Ruby and, most importantly, it looked like she was having fun.

"Hey, Weiss!"

Again, an interruption. And again, a scowl when she was forced to turn away from Ruby.

"Damn, ok. I know we're not looking as good as Ruby, but jeez - act like we're friends or something!"

When Yang and Blake stopped by the table - Yang sporting one of her signature grins - Weiss shook her head to rid herself of the momentary annoyance.

"Sorry," she said before smiling and looking over her teammates' outfits - a moderately-revealing, golden gown for Yang and a slim-fitting, dark purple gown for Blake. "You two look nice."

Yang, as usual, beamed at the compliment, while Blake glanced modestly to the side. Weiss wanted to feel jealous at how amazing they looked, but by now she'd accepted that they were just one of those couples that always looked good together. Somehow, their outfits coordinated and meshed together just right. She'd questioned them on it before - suspecting they spent hours deciding what each of them would wear - but Yang insisted that their favorite colors just happened to coincide.

"You're looking great too!" Yang replied, her eyes flicking over Weiss' ice-blue dress before moving across the room. "Although...not as great as Ruby. Wow."

Once upon a time, Weiss would have taken the comment as a snub. Today, however, she smiled while finding Ruby standing across the room.

Yang was probably referring to Ruby's daring red dress that shimmered and clung to her in all the right places, but that was only the beginning of it. Ruby had grown into a beautiful, vivacious woman. Her energy and spirit shone brighter than the rest of them - and Weiss didn't mind in the slightest.

When Ruby suddenly met her eyes, Weiss straightened in her seat and felt a shiver of thrill run down her spine. The feeling only amplified when Ruby bid adieu to the couple she'd been speaking with and hurried back to the table.

"Hey guys!" she said, hugging Yang and Blake before standing by Weiss' side. "Glad you made it!"

"Fashionably late, as usual," Weiss replied. Playfully rolling her eyes at Yang, she stood up and held Ruby's hand.

"You know we wouldn't miss a party." Receiving a look of disbelief from Blake, Yang grinned and added, "I mean, you know _I_ wouldn't miss a party - and Blake wouldn't miss the chance to support you."

When Yang looked at Blake for approval, Blake said "Better" before trying to hide a smile.

"It's going to start soon, right?" Yang added, holding Blake's hand and looking at the clock hung above the main entrance. "We're gonna check out the food. Be back in a bit!"

While Yang pulled Blake towards the tables of food, Weiss looked at Ruby and smiled.

"You look gorgeous," Weiss said, earning herself a laugh and smile that made her heart jump with joy.

"You've told me that like three times already."

"I wouldn't say three..."

"When we got dressed, in the car on the way here, and right now." Ruby checked off each instance on her fingers then smiled when Weiss pursed her lips. She'd learned long ago to accept being wrong, which happened a surprising amount with Ruby.

"Well, you _are_ gorgeous," she insisted, grabbing Ruby's other hand before she could flash four fingers in the air.

"What about you?" Ruby asked, intertwining their fingers and returning Weiss' smile.

"What about me?"

"You're the most beautiful person here." When Weiss laughed and shook her head, Ruby hurried forward. "It's true!" she said, squeezing Weiss' hands for emphasis. "You're the most beautiful person in any room, actually. And it's not even close."

While Weiss had a lot of arguments to that proclamation, she'd learned to accept the compliments or risk Ruby 'proving' her love in a more public and more embarrassing way. Besides, what mattered most wasn't the accuracy of the statement, but the fact that Ruby truly believed it - and proved it each and every day.

Leaning forward, Weiss kissed Ruby on the cheek and smiled.

"I love you," she said, watching the sparkle of affection return to Ruby's silver eyes.

"I love you too." For a long time, Ruby held Weiss' gaze - then her eyes drifted lower and a grin appeared. "And I love when you wear low-cut dresses."

The spell broken, Weiss swatted Ruby's arm while she laughed.

"Ruby!"

"What?" Throwing her hands in the air, Ruby tried to fake an innocent expression. "I'm not allowed to appreciate? I thought we were supposed to appreciate more!"

When Ruby laughed again, Weiss rolled her eyes and looked towards the stage at one end of the room. A crowd had grown in that area, featuring a photographer and several well-dressed announcers. From the look of things, they were still setting up for the evening but would be ready soon.

"Are you nervous?" Weiss asked, turning away from the stage while Ruby shook her head.

"Nope!"

The response filled Weiss with pride. She wasn't the one accepting an award tonight, but she knew how nerve-wracking it was to stand on stage in front of this many important people. Ruby, of course, was handling the situation with aplomb.

"Remember the first time you had to give a speech?" Weiss asked, smiling at the memory while Ruby laughed.

"I thought I was going to pass out, I was so nervous."

"But you're not anymore," Weiss pointed out.

"Yeah, because I've learned how to manage it."

"And what's your secret?"

Thinking about the question, Ruby tapped her chin several times before smiling.

"I'll show you."

As soon as Ruby took Weiss' hand and led them towards the exit, Weiss felt her anticipation and curiosity grow. Outside of the ballroom, guests milled around chatting with acquaintances while waiting for the event to start. Several of those guests tried to get Ruby's attention as soon as they spotted her, but she calmly waved and carried on towards the hallway on one end of the entryway.

Unlike the crowded entryway, the hallway was currently empty. Slowing their pace to a comfortable walk, Ruby still held Weiss' hand while leading them over to a picture hanging on the wall.

"Isn't this cool?"

When Ruby pointed out the photograph, Weiss moved forward to look at it. Her surprise only grew when she realized it was a picture of their team from years and years ago, taken some time after they moved into their first home together. They looked young and a little naive, but happy.

While they'd grown older and wiser, Weiss would argue they were even happier than they were on this day.

"Is this your secret?" she teased. "This is how you keep your calm - looking at old photos?"

Ruby looked at the photo fondly, likely remembering that time just like Weiss was.

"No," she finally replied, shaking her head when Weiss raised her brow. "I just thought it was cool they had this here."

"Then -"

"I stay calm by thinking about you."

Weiss' breath caught in her throat when Ruby stepped closer and set a hand on her side.

"I think about how you smell…" Ruby continued, trailing one finger through Weiss' hair before tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "I think about how warm you are...and what it feels like to be near you...to kiss you…"

While Ruby gently trailed her fingers down Weiss' cheek, staring at her with heartbreakingly-earnest eyes, she couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. It was impossible to tell while her heart pounded so loudly in her chest, and her mind silently begged Ruby to step closer.

"It's easy not to be nervous," Ruby added with a small smile. "Because I already have everything I could ever want. All of this is just...extra."

There were still moments, like these, when Ruby stole Weiss' heart yet again. It didn't matter when it was or where they were - she found ways to leave Weiss breathless, like she felt right now while standing within inches of each other in the empty hall.

"Attention, everyone," an announcer said over the microphone from inside the ballroom, his voice muffled but still loud enough to understand. "Please make your way to your seats. We'll begin in just a few minutes."

Ruby didn't even look away upon hearing the announcement. Instead, she held Weiss' gaze with that same loving smile Weiss could never get enough of.

"You'd better kiss me -"

The words hardly left Weiss' lips before Ruby pressed forward for a kiss. That kiss quickly became two, which quickly became three as Ruby gently pushed Weiss against the wall beside their old picture, greedily taking her lips before their tongues clashed together.

Feeling the cold, firm wall against her back and Ruby's warm, unyielding presence in front of her, Weiss' skin heated up with desire. It didn't help matters that Ruby's hands were clutching her sides, silently alerting her to their growing hunger while their kisses grew more urgent and passionate.

Wrapping her arms around Ruby's neck, Weiss pulled the girl even closer - wanting nothing more than to remove every breath of space between them. A roaring fire burned in her chest, and she knew kisses alone wouldn't be enough to extinguish it - a fact made all the more apparent when Ruby's hand slid up her thigh, catching on her dress and tugging it up in a way that made her moan into Ruby's mouth.

"Ruby -" she begged when Ruby broke away only to trail kisses down her neck. She knew they were in public and she knew they might get caught, but it was becoming harder and harder to care -

"Calling Ruby Rose to the stage -"

They both froze at the announcement, and Weiss heard a soft protest slip past her lips when Ruby straightened up and looked towards the ballroom. For several seconds, it looked like she might decide to skip the event so the two of them could abscond together. While flattering, Weiss knew that wasn't exactly an option - and Ruby did too.

"Guess it's time to get this show on the road," she said, giving Weiss an apologetic smile while reaching for her hand.

"I suppose it is…" Weiss muttered, accepting Ruby's hand while the two of them hurried back to the ballroom. Upon entering, she saw that most of the tables had filled since they left, and the stage was finally organized and ready for the event to begin.

Walking between the tables, Weiss felt more than a few eyes upon them and immediately wondered if they could tell - could they tell what she and Ruby had just been doing? Was it obvious from the blush still on her cheeks, or her elevated breathing, or her slightly undone hair?

From the looks Blake and Yang gave them when Ruby walked Weiss to her seat, it was very obvious. At least, it was to the people who'd known them longest.

"I'll be back soon," Ruby whispered while pulling Weiss' chair out for her. Once she sat down, Ruby gave her a much sweeter kiss and rubbed her back before heading up to the podium to a round of applause.

Weiss, meanwhile, stared in disbelief while Ruby graciously accepted the praise and shook the governor's hand with a warm, welcoming smile. When the man motioned for her to pose for a picture, she said something that made everyone around her laugh while they moved into position.

She was the epitome of calm and collected, while Weiss still hadn't caught her breath. Her heart raced, her skin tingled with unspent energy, and a residual heat still radiated from her cheeks, yet Ruby somehow played it off as if nothing had happened at all.

There were many times when Weiss had tried to imagine what type of woman Ruby would become, but...her wildest dreams hadn't even come close. Incredibly smart, caring, sophisticated, and drop-dead gorgeous only began to describe who Ruby was, and Weiss found herself falling in love more and more every day.

"Weiss."

Startled from her thoughts, she glanced over her shoulder while Blake leaned close to whisper.

"Your bra's unhooked."

Yang immediately started laughing while Weiss reached around and confirmed that her bra was, in fact, unhooked. Struggling to put it back together without making it noticeable to the entire room, she caught Ruby's eyes and shook her head. When Ruby grinned and walked over to the podium to speak, Weiss chuckled to herself.

Some things never changed.


	36. Yes - WR

**Pairing: White Rose**  
 **Summary: Ruby comes home to an unexpected scene**.

* * *

Today was a great day.

Scratch that. Today was a fantastic day! Not because anything important happened. Nothing really happened, actually. The only thing Ruby did was go on a hunt with Yang and kill a few thousand Grimm. Then they met up with Blake, killed a few more thousand Grimm, got back, ate way too much food, and said their goodbyes for the evening.

It was a pretty normal, boring day, but it was still _fantastic_ because now she was on her way home to see Weiss. And seeing Weiss made _any_ day a fantastic day. Doubly so now that they lived together!

After staying as a team for a bit after graduation, Yang and Blake decided they wanted (or needed) their own place. So it seemed only right that Ruby and Weiss would find their own place too. They were dating, after all.

At least, that's what Ruby thought. Weiss went off the deep-end worrying that it was 'too soon' or 'what if they ruined their friendship' and blah, blah, blah. They'd already found a place and were unpacking boxes by the time she realized it would be ok.

Flash forward a year, and coming home to Weiss was still one of Ruby's favorite things in the world. Their house was small (she liked to call it 'Weiss-sized') but comfortable and...it felt like home. And today, because Ruby was an extra awesome girlfriend, she brought dinner back for Weiss. She'd felt a little bad that she stuffed her face, but hopefully Weiss was hungry too!

Humming a tune while whizzing up the front steps, Ruby nearly dropped the bag of food on the ground while trying to find her key. She didn't - and she balanced it more carefully in her arm while unlocking the door and pushing it open.

"I'm ho - ly crap."

Eyes wide, Ruby crept into the entryway and stared at the scene in front of her. It looked like the living room had thrown up all its possessions in the hall. Like literally, just picked everything up and threw it out the doorway. Same with the kitchen, which had tossed a bunch of miscellaneous kitchen tools outside the door.

Now...one of the first things Ruby had learned about Weiss (many, many years ago) was that Weiss was neat. She liked things in a specific order - or _any_ order, really, rather than a mess.

Had Ruby made a mess in her sleep again? She didn't remember...but Weiss was going to _flip out_ when she saw this.

Unless she didn't see it. Unless she didn't see it at all, because Ruby cleaned it up super fast. That's what she would do. She'd put everything back in place so Weiss didn't have a heart attack.

Setting the food on the hall table, she started with the living room first. That room was the most obvious scene of destruction, with the cushions turned upside down and half-opened boxes strewn everywhere.

Using her semblance (she'd clean up the petals last), Ruby worked as fast as possible while also striving not to let the excessive wind knock anything over. She turned the cushions right-side up, put lids back on boxes and shoved them underneath the sofa, re-folded several blankets, and put books onto the bookshelves. She couldn't remember the exact order the books had been in, but hopefully Weiss would believe that she just randomly wanted to re-order everything. (She'd done stranger things before.)

When the living room was finished - or at least, a more tolerable mess - Ruby blazed into the kitchen and started over. Closed the drawers, put all the equipment and utensils and randomly opened boxes of food away.

Once that room was also done, she sighed and wiped her brow.

Everything was covered in red petals, but that was much better than a mess. She could always pull off the petals as attempted romance, if needed.

Walking into the entryway to retrieve the bag of food, she stopped when she heard a drawer close somewhere upstairs, followed by a bit of mumbling that _might_ have been swear words.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked herself, leaving the food and heading upstairs. She hadn't thought Weiss was home - not with the Grade-A mess downstairs. But either she or a ghost was talking to themselves, their voice coming from behind the door of Ruby and Weiss' bedroom.

Crossing her fingers and praying it wasn't a ghost, Ruby opened the door and immediately froze at what she found.

If downstairs had been a Grade-A mess, they needed a different scale to categorize the current state of their bedroom. Their bedsheets sat in a crumpled pile in the corner with pillows tossed on top. Almost every drawer or cabinet was open. Clothes were _everywhere_. And Weiss currently had her head stuck under the bed while muttering under her breath.

This must be what it felt like to have an 'out of body' experience.

 _Weiss_ was the culprit, not Ruby. Weiss Schnee - the girl with three different methods for organizing groceries - was making a _mess_.

"Uh...Weiss?"

The moment Ruby spoke, Weiss retreated from under the bed so fast that she hit the back of her head on the frame.

"Are you ok?" Ruby asked, hurrying over while Weiss rubbed the spot with a frown.

"You're home early," Weiss replied instead of acknowledging her injury. "I thought you'd be gone for another few hours."

"Yeah, me too! But Yang destroyed like the entire forest in one go, so...it went faster than expected."

"Oh. Ok. Well, good." Standing up, Weiss dusted off her legs and smiled. "Welcome home."

When Weiss kissed Ruby on the cheek and gently squeezed her hand, she felt her confusion grow.

"Uh...are you not going to mention this?" she asked, gesturing towards the room and watching Weiss look at the mess with slightly pursed lips.

"I decided to do a little reorganizing."

"Really? Because it looks like you're looking for something." Ruby gasped when another explanation popped into her head. "Did you lose something?"

"I didn't lose anything. I...temporarily misplaced something."

That sounded an _awful lot_ like losing something. And Ruby wanted to tease Weiss about it, but decided to cut her some slack instead. Weiss didn't like being human and doing human things like forgetting or not knowing or tripping, but Ruby _loved_ when Weiss did these things.

And, she didn't want to brag, but she was _pretty good_ at making Weiss feel better about messing up.

"What did you lose - I mean, misplace? I'll help you look for it!"

"No, it's ok. I'll find it later. Aren't you hungry?"

Weiss tried to walk towards the door, but Ruby stepped in her way.

"I already ate. And are you seriously going to leave the room like this?"

"It's ok," Weiss replied with a shrug that didn't quite match the way her eyes darted around the piles on the floor. "I'll get back to it later."

"So you're just...going to leave this pile of clothes here?" Ruby gestured towards the jumble that had once been in the closet. The pockets seemed to have been turned inside out on most of the pieces, which only further suggested that Weiss was looking for something. A _lost_ something.

"It's fine. I'll finish it later."

Ruby knew - _knew_ \- that the mess would drive Weiss insane in under fifteen minutes. So why would she voluntarily leave everything in this state? She was willing to risk her sanity rather than let Ruby help?

Now she was _extra_ curious.

"What's going on? What're you looking for? And why are you being weird?"

"I'm not...'being weird,' I just..." Weiss thought about something for several minutes before sighing. "Ok, why don't you help me? And if you can find it, then...I'll know where it is."

Ruby giggled at the response, which seemed a little redundant, but she was also determined to help Weiss find whatever she'd lost - misplaced. Because Ruby was helpful like that. And she loved Weiss like that.

"I'll find it super fast!" she guaranteed. "What is it?"

"It's...a small, blue box. About this big." Weiss used her hands to show the dimensions for a little box.

"How important is it to you?"

"Very important, which is why I can't believe I can't find it."

Weiss looked relatively distraught, but Ruby was going to make this better in a heartbeat. No girlfriend of hers was going to be sad about losing - misplacing - something!

But first...she needed to think of all the places Weiss would put something important to her. The more important it was, the closer it stayed to her side. In a pocket, or a purse, or bag...but all of those were already open and discarded on the floor.

"Where's the last place you remember seeing it?"

"In that bag, right there." Weiss pointed towards one of her most-used handbags, which had been emptied onto the bedspread.

"Hmm…" Even though it seemed pointless, Ruby walked over and peeked inside the bag to confirm it was, in fact, empty. "So it's not there…" She tapped her chin while thinking of alternate places it could be hiding.

"Oh! Did you check the medicine cabinet?"

Without waiting for a response, she hurried into the bathroom and found that all the drawers and cabinets had already been opened or emptied. Weiss appeared by her shoulder and sighed.

"Yes."

"Did you check the dresser?" Before Weiss answered, Ruby flew to the bed and looked over the collection of items already emptied from the drawers. No small box to be found.

"Yes, I checked there too."

It was a mystery. A _messy_ mystery, but Ruby liked having something to solve! All she had to do was get into Weiss' mindset and remember where she put the box.

"I'm gonna retrace your steps!"

Grabbing Weiss' handbag and sprinting downstairs, Ruby skidded to the stop by the front door and pretended she was Weiss. Dainty, poised, and beautiful, she walked further into the foyer and stopped by the mirror to look at herself.

Right now, she was Ruby, but she was also Weiss. And Weiss looked at her reflection before heading upstairs at a far-more leisurely pace than Ruby ever did.

It felt really slow, but eventually she made it to the landing and walked towards their room. She still had the bag around her shoulder, so she still had the mysterious, misplaced box with her. When she walked into the room, the real Weiss watched in amusement while Ruby went directly to the desk and set the bag on top of it.

Now, if there _was_ something important in the bag, Weiss would take it out and put it in the desk drawer. So Ruby, as Weiss, opened the bag, pretended to remove the box, then opened the drawer -

"Aha!"

Spotting the small, blue box exactly matching Weiss' description, Ruby spun around and held it up in triumph.

"Found it!" she proclaimed, briefly noting Weiss' slightly-tense expression before giving the box a closer look. "You didn't look in the drawer?" she asked while she popped open the box. "You usually -"

Ruby froze when she looked inside the box and saw that it held...a ring. A sparkling, silver ring with a diamond on top.

"Now that you've found it...will you marry me?"

Hearing the question, Ruby looked up with wide eyes and found Weiss watching closely. There was a small smile on her face, but Ruby could tell that by her hesitant eyes and slightly-wrung hands that she was nervous. But what could she possibly have to be nervous about?

"You knew I would help you look?" Ruby asked, watching surprise and confusion flicker through Weiss' eyes before a bit of triumph appeared.

"Yes," Weiss replied with a single nod.

"So you made a mess of everything on purpose?"

"Yes."

When Weiss' smile grew a little bit, Ruby felt butterflies flutter through her chest. She'd known this day would come eventually, but now that it was here...she didn't know if she'd ever been happier.

"You love me that much?" she asked, feeling an unstoppable smile appear on her lips. "That you'd make a huge mess for me?"

"Yes."

"This was your plan all along?"

"Yes."

"Then you know my answer?"

"Ye-"

Weiss froze midway through the word, her eyes widening when she realized what she was about to say. Ruby, on the other hand, started bouncing up and down with excitement while Weiss looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Hell yes!" Ruby exclaimed before pulling Weiss into a big hug and giving her a long, excited kiss. "I can't believe you did all this for me!" Pausing for a second, Ruby looked around their room, which was a _wedding-grade_ mess. "Wow. You must really love me."

Laughing in relief, Weiss kissed Ruby on the cheek before tenderly taking the box from her hands.

"I do," Weiss said while removing the ring from the box and motioning for Ruby's hand.

"But you'll love me even more if I help you clean up?" Ruby asked, wiggling her fingers once Weiss slid the ring into place and giggling when she sighed in relief.

" _Yes_ , please. This is driving me insane."


	37. Whoops - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Weiss suffers a little bit of jealousy. **

* * *

Weiss furrowed her brow when Ruby waved her arms and puffed out her cheeks.

From this distance and out of context, the action made zero sense...but Penny laughed regardless. Of course Penny laughed. Penny laughed at everything Ruby did, no matter how silly or pointless it was.

"Whatcha doing, Weiss?"

After sparing a glance at Yang and Blake when they set their lunches on the table, Weiss quickly turned her attention back to Ruby.

"Trying to figure out what they're doing..." she muttered. Her confusion spiked when Penny held out her palm and motioned for Ruby's hand. It looked like a request to hold Ruby's hand - and when Ruby dutifully put her hand on top of Penny's, Weiss frowned.

The next second, however, Penny effortlessly propelled Ruby at least ten feet straight up in the air. As soon as Ruby landed, the two of them dissolved into more giggles.

When Yang looked towards the somewhat-aggravating commotion, she smiled and picked up her sandwich.

"So glad Ruby found someone she can be herself with," she commented before taking a bite.

While the remark was nonchalant at its core, it immediately caught Weiss' attention.

"What do you mean?" she asked, watching Yang chew and swallow the food in her mouth before casually waving her sandwich towards the pair of gigglers.

"You know, someone she can be dumb and nerdy with. She doesn't have to tiptoe around or worry about being 'cool' or anything."

"But Ruby has lots of friends like that," Weiss refuted.

"Really? Name another."

"Well, myself, for one."

Weiss felt her consternation grow when Blake and Yang exchanged glances, and double when Yang laughed and shook her head.

"Right...you don't actually think that, do you?"

Scoffing at the insinuation, Weiss ignored her teammates and went back to observing her partner with a keener eye than before.

Yang's implication was categorically untrue. Ruby didn't need to worry or 'tiptoe' around Weiss. They were partners - best friends. Such a relationship left no room for reservations like that.

But when Penny hugged Ruby - seemingly for no reason other than she could - Weiss felt a spark of something else eating through her chest.

Ruby never hugged her 'just because.' Why was that? It wasn't like Weiss would be opposed to it. Sure, there were those few times at the beginning of school when she'd told Ruby to cut it out, but that was a long time ago. Their relationship had grown by leaps and bounds since then. Now, she would actually _welcome_ a hug, if Ruby thought it was appropriate...

But when the pair started giggling at something else, Weiss finally clenched her fists and turned away.

She and Ruby had a different relationship, that was all. That didn't mean that Ruby and Penny were _closer_. It just meant...things were different. Ruby could be goofy and silly and affectionate with Penny, while with Weiss, she...she...just wasn't.

Spotting movement out of the corner of her eye, Weiss turned and noticed that Ruby and Penny had broken up their lovefest to rejoin the group.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby said with a big, blinding smile. "Wanna see a movie with Penny and me tonight?"

"No, thank you."

As soon as Weiss saw confusion flash through Ruby's eyes, she scolded herself for the clipped response.

"Thank you," she repeated, this time with a forced smile. "But you two have fun."

'By yourselves' was left unsaid as she abruptly stood and left the table behind - not without noticing the looks Blake and Yang gave her. Yes, she realized that she just proved their point. And now she felt guilty, but there wasn't anything she could do about that right now. She would just find some gesture as a means of apology later. As usual.

Sighing and shaking her head, she hurried towards the dorm and tried not to dwell on the feelings of ineptitude and disappointment building in her chest.

She didn't know why it bothered her so much, but she had to admit it did. Ruby and Penny were close, but _how_ close? Did Ruby consider Penny to be her best friend? Did Ruby wish that Penny was her partner instead? Weiss couldn't realistically compete with Penny in battle, but she'd thought that, at least personality-wise, she and Ruby got along well.

"'Getting along well' isn't an achievement," Weiss scolded herself while stalking into the dorm building and brushing past a group of students on their way out. Yet another miscalculation to blame on her lack of friendship as a child. Simply getting along with someone didn't mean they were her best friend - that foolish to think. It was foolish to hope.

"Yet again the fool..." she mumbled while reaching out for the door to their room. As soon as she touched the handle, she felt something - but there wasn't time to determine _what_ before a gust of wind and pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the door and nearly right off her feet.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out, somehow maintaining her balance and preventing both of them from crashing to the floor.

"Ruby!" Weiss scolded the girl as soon as the world stopped spinning. "What do you think you're doing? You could've just seriously injured us both!"

"I'm preventing you from entering the room." Releasing her hold of Weiss, Ruby took a step backward and put her hands on her hips.

Scoffing at the response, Weiss tried to walk around Ruby, only for Ruby to step in her way and smile. When Weiss moved in the other direction, Ruby again stepped in between her and the room.

"Ruby," Weiss said, trying hard to keep the exasperation out of her tone. "Just...get out of the way, please."

"Sorry, but I can't do that."

"Why not?" Giving in to her annoyance, Weiss crossed her arms over her chest and gave Ruby a look that demanded an answer.

"Because!" When Weiss arched her brow at the response, Ruby continued. "Because it feels like something's wrong, so I can't let you into the room until we solve whatever it is!"

Even though Weiss scoffed at the idea that anything was wrong, she couldn't understand how Ruby picked up on the issue so easily. No one ever noticed when she was upset. Or maybe no one ever cared.

"Nothing's wrong."

The statement was fundamentally true - nothing was wrong. The only thing wrong was Weiss and her misguided belief that she and Ruby were closer than they actually were. That was a personal problem, and not something Ruby could resolve.

"That's what someone would say if something _was_ wrong!" Ruby replied, looking far too pleased with that bit of logic. When Weiss scoffed and turned away, Ruby jumped back into her field of view and grabbed her hands. "Come on, Weiss," she added. "I can't explain it - I just feel like something's wrong. You can tell me anything, you know. That's what friends are for!"

On any other day, the words combined with holding hands would've filled Weiss with those pesky butterflies she couldn't seem to get away from recently. Today, however, it was more painful than it should be.

"What about Penny?" she asked, hearing the hurt in her tone while watching Ruby for an answer.

"Penny?" Ruby repeated, scrunching up her face in confusion. "What about her?"

A big part of Weiss wanted to say 'forget it' and stomp away from the conversation, like she would've done at the beginning of school. But...Ruby _was_ her best friend. Even if the label wasn't mutual, it meant that Weiss _would_ tell Ruby anything. Which meant she would tell Ruby this.

"Isn't she your best friend?" she asked, pulling her hands free of Ruby's in order to cross them over her chest. "The person you can be yourself with, who you don't have to worry about being 'cool' around?"

When Ruby continued to look confused, Weiss took the opportunity to brush past her and finally walk into their room. She heard Ruby follow but paid the girl no mind while preparing to do homework. Homework was the best distraction from this - the gnawing inability to figure out how she felt about her partner and what those feelings meant for her future.

Even now, Ruby was distracting. While she sat on Weiss' bed with her knee bounced incessantly - the speed implying she didn't know what to say or do just yet. Which was _even more_ distracting.

Flipping open a notebook, Weiss pretended to work anyway. She knew Ruby would say something eventually, all she had to do was wait for that moment to come. All while acting as if she wasn't solely concerned with the answer to her questions.

"Penny doesn't know about my mom, you know."

When Ruby finally spoke up, Weiss set down her pen and turned around. She found her partner looking back at her with sincere silver eyes - 'silvere' eyes, as Ruby liked to call the expression, much to Yang's amusement and Weiss' chagrin.

"I just never felt like telling her," Ruby explained with a shrug. "I haven't really told her anything about my family, I don't think. Or like, my friends from before Beacon - or lack of them…"

Before Weiss felt bad about the topics, Ruby hurried forward with a smile. "She also doesn't know about Yang and Blake, so we can't make fun of them together. She doesn't understand romance at all, really..."

"I'm sure she can learn," Weiss quipped. She tried to turn back to the desk, but Ruby instantly appeared at her side and stopped her. Kneeling on the floor in front of Weiss' chair, Ruby held her hands so she couldn't spin away.

"What I'm trying to say, Weiss, is that Penny's my friend, but she's not my friend like how _you_ are."

Try as Weiss might to discount the words, she couldn't. She believed Ruby...and those silvere eyes. She believed that when Ruby implied that Weiss was somehow a different, maybe better, friend than Penny, that she meant it.

"Are you sure?" she asked regardless. Selfishly, she wanted even more assurance that she wasn't wrong to feel this way. She wanted Ruby to say -

"You're my best friend, only...better," Ruby answered with a warm smile. "I _love_ spending time with you. No matter what we're doing, you always make me...happy."

With Ruby so close and her eyes so sincere, Weiss felt an undeniable wave of feelings crash over her.

Maybe she wasn't crazy to think this way. Maybe she wasn't crazy to want to be as close to Ruby as possible. Maybe she wasn't the only one who couldn't escape these thoughts and musings and desires that never seemed to fade away.

"Thank you, Ruby," Weiss replied with a smile before leaning forward and kissing Ruby on the lips. She froze when Ruby's eyes widened in surprise, very suddenly realizing that _she was kissing Ruby_.

Quickly breaking away, she felt a furious blush lit her cheeks while she tried to figure out what just happened. Ruby, meanwhile, was still frozen to the floor, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted in shock.

Weiss tried to think of something - anything - to say. Laugh and play it off as a joke? Make it seem like it was something friends did? Or something that someone with no friends thought that friends did? Or, act like a grownup and discuss what were clearly more intense feelings than she'd expected?

Clearing her throat and opening her mouth, Weiss tried to offer an explanation. When none appeared, she stood up instead.

"Have a good time at the movie," she said before hurrying out the door and using her semblance to race away as fast as she could.

If she was worried about being Ruby's best friend, why did she just kiss her? What good could possibly come of that, other than solidifying the _real_ reason behind her rampant jealousy whenever Penny was around?

What would Ruby think of her now? Would she never want to speak again? Or would she play this all off as a joke? Maybe that was for the best. They could just pretend it never happened and keep being best friends. Now that Weiss thought about it, that didn't sound so bad anymore.

She was halfway across the great lawn before she, again, felt something. But this time, she had a split second to prepare herself before arms wrapped around her waist and spun her in several circles before finally coming to a stop.

Again, she found Ruby in front of her - this time looking far more determined and excited than before.

"I'm preventing you from running!" Ruby proclaimed, again striking a pose, with her hands on her hips, before extending her hand towards Weiss. "And, uh, I think we should talk."

How long did Weiss want lie to herself? When would she finally give up and admit that her feelings ran deeper than she ever thought they would?

"We probably should," she agreed. And surprisingly, Ruby beamed at the positive response. Almost as if she was excited about the conversation to come. Almost as if she understood how or why Weiss might've done what she just did.

Maybe spontaneously kissing her wasn't such a bad idea, after all.


	38. Master Detective - WR

**Pairing: White Rose, ish  
** **Summary: Blake follows a hunch about her teammates.**

* * *

For the last half hour, Blake had snuck glances overtop her book while Weiss and Ruby got ready for the evening. Weiss looked in the mirror and ran a brush through her hair about a thousand times. Ruby smoothed hundreds of invisible wrinkles from her skirt and nearly scuffed a hole in the floor. Then both of them checked, rechecked, and checked again to ensure they had everything - wallet, scroll, nerves...

"Ok!" Ruby finally called out, drawing Blake's gaze to the door. "We're leaving now! So...see you later!"

"Have fun..." Blake replied while forcing her eyes back to the pages in her hands.

She didn't want to appear overly zealous, but the instant the door closed she snapped the book shut and set it on the bed beside her. After listening to a full thirty seconds of Ruby's boots skipping down the hall, she slid out of bed and crept to the other side of the room.

Now that she was alone, she could finally answer some of the questions that had been eating away at her for weeks now. All she needed was a little deductive reasoning and a bit of snooping around...

 _Something_ was going on between Ruby and Weiss. She didn't know exactly what it was, but it was _something_. She felt it. Saw it. Practically smelled it in the way they alternatingly basked in each other's presence before acting like they had to walk on eggshells around one another. That abnormal behavior culminated in tonight - dinner for two, where she and Yang were conspicuously uninvited.

Yang had complained about it for about a half second before going to the gym, but Blake was determined to figure out what was going on. She had to know. And, with her expert-level sleuthing skills, she knew she would find an answer.

With one ear trained towards the door, she knelt beside Ruby's open backpack and glanced inside. She could see several notebooks, a couple textbooks, and way too many pens, but she needed a reason to poke around her leader's personal belongings.

"I...need to see her notes from Professor Port's lecture," she told herself before reaching in and pulling out the red notebook Ruby used for Professor Port's class. Logically, Weiss' notes would be more complete and accurate because Ruby spent most of her time doodling in class. But maybe she'd drawn something interesting…

Flipping through the notebook, she found nearly every page covered in doodles. Some were in-depth and intricate. Others were clearly meant to pass the time or were interrupted mid-drawing. But almost all of them featured a certain combat-skirt-wearing heiress.

Surprisingly, a good portion of Ruby's doodles didn't even feature Myrtenaster. Most of them featured Weiss, and Weiss only. Weiss singing. Weiss studying. Weiss taking notes. Weiss reading on her bed. Weiss laughing. Basically, Weiss in a variety of situations or poses.

After reaching the end of the notebook, Blake put it back exactly where it had been. From that single bit of evidence, it was obvious that Ruby had an avid fascination with Weiss - so much fascination that she could picture Weiss clearly enough to recreate the images from scratch. It was cute, and Blake already knew that Ruby thought Weiss was one of the coolest people on the planet, but what did Weiss think?

That question was a little more difficult to answer.

Moving over to Weiss' desk, Blake made every effort to memorize exactly how things were laid out. Of all her teammates, Weiss was the most likely to notice if something moved or was somehow out of place. Even if it _didn't_ move, she had the uncanny ability to create suspicion from nothing.

Starting with the most easily accessible information, Blake carefully flipped open the cover of a notebook. As suspected, however, the pages were filled with nothing but meticulous notes from their classes. Even the margins - typically a space for sidebars or personal reminders - were filled with class material.

Nothing in the notebook answered Blake's questions, so she closed it and turned her attention to Weiss' day planner. The rest of them teased Weiss about it - because who kept a paper planner when they could use their scroll? - but it was worth a search for clues. More specifically, she wanted to know what Weiss wrote for this evening's one-on-one dinner with Ruby.

When Blake turned to the day's page, however, she found only a small 'R.' Moving back in time, she found more 'R's in various dates and times, but no further description than that.

Just an 'R'? Nothing else? For someone who took meticulous notes and maintained a meticulous schedule, the brevity was out of character. What was the time blocked off for? Did Weiss omit the details because she didn't feel the need to write them down, or was she paranoid that someone might peek at her calendar and read it?

Unfortunately, the information was less helpful than Blake would have liked.

After closing the planner and making sure she hadn't inadvertently moved anything, she stood in the middle of the room and thought about the two varying clues. Ruby drew Weiss often. Weiss made plans with Ruby often, but didn't keep track of what those plans were.

This really only left Blake with one choice - the choice she'd hoped not to use but...she had to know the answer. Which meant she had to know what this dinner was about.

Fortunately, Ruby had told her where they were going - one of the restaurants at the edge of campus. This particular restaurant was always full and always needed a reservation, but, if Weiss and Ruby decided to eat outside, offered the perfect lookout point from a nearby park.

Without hesitation, Blake left the dorms behind and hurried towards her new destination. Just this one last attempt, then she would stop. If they were really just having dinner, then she'd give up and go home. For now, at least. Until they did something else suspicious.

Darkness was her friend as she slunk across campus, taking to the less-traveled paths to avoid recognition. No one noticed her presence until she made it to the outskirts of Beacon, where lights and jovial feelings permeated the air. But she skirted around the feeling of jolly, sticking to the shadows and searching out the restaurant where her teammates should be.

As soon as she spotted the outdoor patio filled with tables and diners, her anticipation increased. Ruby and Weiss _were_ sitting outside, which meant she only needed a decent vantage point in order to figure out what this meal was all about. With her above-average hearing and the tree cover just across the street, there was a good chance she could overhear bits of the conversation.

...who was she kidding. She could hear every word if she wanted to.

Before getting any closer to the restaurant, she picked out a perfect hiding place for the evening - a tall, bushy tree that was covered with leaves at this time of year. Now she needed an opening to dash over there...

Weiss and Ruby's waiter provided just such an opening, stopping at their table and drawing their gazes towards him. As soon as they were distracted by the man, Blake hurried over and easily pulled herself into the foliage. Once she was within the branches, she moved as carefully as possible while maneuvering upward. The last thing she wanted was to disturb the leaves and give the diners a reason to look over.

It wasn't long before she found the perfect spot - a sturdy branch surrounded by leaves that almost fully concealed her location, but had a small opening with the perfect view of Weiss and Ruby's table. If it got too dark, she would need to be careful about her eyes giving away her location, but hopefully she wouldn't be here too long.

She only needed a few sentences of uninhibited conversation. Just a few sentences, and she could confirm her suspicions once and for all.

The moment she tried to turn her ears towards the restaurant, however, a nearer and louder sound drew her attention downward. Lots of scratching...lots of rustling...accompanied by slightly-labored breathing.

Quickly determining that someone else was climbing the tree - for what reason, she couldn't possibly comprehend right now - she moved into the highest branches and waited for the disturbance to show itself.

Her brow shot up in surprise when Sun pulled himself onto the branch she'd just occupied, followed closely by Neptune. The two boys gave each other high-fives before exhaling in relief and settling in - on _her_ branch.

"Can't believe they didn't see us," Neptune whispered while Blake silently lowered herself towards them.

"Told you." Sitting comfortably on the branch with his tail swinging below, Sun picked off a nearby leaf and let it flutter towards the ground. "The distraction worked!"

Crouched on a limb just above and behind them, Blake shook her head when they high-fived again. She didn't know why they were celebrating what seemed like a minor accomplishment, but she didn't care. What she cared about right now was their interference with her snooping.

"What are you doing here?"

Neptune screamed and nearly fell backwards out of the tree, but Sun clapped a hand over his mouth and managed to catch him.

"Holy - shit - Blake! Are you trying to give us a heart attack?"

"Sorry," she replied, although she didn't feel very apologetic. "But what are you doing here?"

"Junior Detectives!" Sun replied in a hushed whisper, flashing a child's police badge at her while Neptune clutched one hand over his heart. "We're investigating a case!"

"What case?"

"It's extremely confidential - client told us we can't tell anyone about it."

"Who's your client?"

"That's, uh, also confidential."

Narrowing her eyes at the response, Blake turned to Neptune. When his gaze immediately flitted towards the restaurant, she had her answer.

"It's Yang, isn't it."

Sun's eyes widened, but he quickly waved off the response and tried to play it cool.

"It's confidential."

"Really?" Blake asked. Even though Sun insisted it was confidential, she knew exactly what was going on. "Yang hired you to spy on Ruby and Weiss at dinner."

"Heyyy…" Neptune whined, looking at Blake in disbelief. "How did you know that?"

Sun sighed and shook his head as the 'confidential' information was spilled, but Blake rolled her eyes.

"Well back off, Baby Detectives. This case is mine."

"It's _Junior_ Detectives," Sun corrected her.

"Whatever. Find another tree to spy from."

Part of her expected the duo to argue - or, at least, bargain for another branch. Instead, Neptune looked at her and scoffed.

"Come on, Sun," he said while scooting back to the trunk of the tree. "Clearly, we're not _welcome_ here."

Before Sun could respond, Neptune lowered himself towards the branch below. When he tried to let go, however, his footing slipped, and he shrieked while falling out of the tree and crashing onto the ground below.

In the process - the incredibly loud, disruptive process - he caught the attention of every single person sitting on the patio. Weiss and Ruby included.

When Weiss' first response was to look at the tree, Blake slipped into the shadows while Sun scrambled down to help his friend.

"Dude, you ok?" he asked while kneeling by Neptune's side.

"I think I broke my back..." Neptune groaned. It looked like he wanted to spend the next few minutes wallowing on the grass, but Sun looked over and quickly realized the entire restaurant was staring at them.

"Uh...we should get going," he said, pulling Neptune to his feet and flashing a smile to the onlookers. "Nothing to see here, folks! Have a good evening!"

Blake rolled her eyes while the two scurried off - their 'detecting' done for the night - but felt her heart still when Weiss again looked towards the tree.

"You know...I don't feel like eating here anymore," she suddenly said.

"Oh, really?" Ruby asked, following Weiss' gaze but quickly turning away. "Ok, where do you want to go?"

"We'll find someplace," Weiss replied while standing up to leave. Ruby, of course, scrambled to follow, always willing to go with the flow.

"Uh, since we're alone, maybe we can...hold hands?"

Blake froze at the question, watching and listening intently for Weiss' answer.

First, Weiss stiffened, and her gaze flitted to the tree once more, as if she somehow knew someone was watching. But then she looked at Ruby, relaxed, and smiled.

"Sure," she agreed, reaching out and lacing her fingers with Ruby's. "Tonight's about us, after all."

While the two girls walked away, Blake watched them go with a smile.

'Us,' Weiss said, and she didn't mean it in a friends, partners, or teammates way. She meant it as more than that - exactly like Blake had suspected.

After waiting in the tree for several more minutes, she finally jumped down and brushed off her legs. Now that her investigation was complete, she could go home and finish her book. And she would remind Yang never to hire juniors when a master was needed.


	39. The Hundred Dollar Dare - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary: Yang bets Ruby a hundred dollars that she can't do something.**

* * *

Ruby loved her sister. She really did! But sometimes, Yang had a way of...overstaying her welcome. Not that she ever wasn't welcome! Just...sometimes Ruby had other things to do, and Yang hanging around kind of prevented her from doing those things.

"You didn't eat much," Yang said, nodding towards Ruby's partially-filled plate. "You feeling ok?"

"Oh, yeah. I ate a really big lunch."

Yang accepted the answer with a nod and easy smile, not hearing the grumbles from Ruby's stomach. Half of a dinner wasn't exactly what she'd planned tonight, but she would survive. Hopefully.

"Shouldn't you be meeting Blake now?" she asked for probably the seventh time. Again, her hopes rose only to be dashed when Yang looked at her phone and shook her head.

"Still waiting for her to message me." Yang waved off the question before putting her elbows on the table and leaning forward. The look in her eyes - one of the eager, excited variety - made Ruby instantly wary of what was coming next.

"Since I have a few minutes, give me a love life update."

Ruby immediately groaned and leaned away from the table.

"Now? Seriously?"

"Yes, now! And did you like how I said I have a _few minutes_? Because that's how long this should take, right?"

"Ha ha," Ruby replied with a roll of her eyes. "Very funny."

Apparently, Yang found it funny, as evidenced from her smile. "But come on, spill," she added. "I need to know."

"'Need to?'"

"Yes, it's my right as your sister."

"I don't think that's a thing…"

"I just made it one, but don't try to avoid the question - anyone special in your life? Or anyone you've tried and unsuccessfully flirted with?"

Ruby blushed and shook her head at the questions.

"Nothing's changed since the last time you asked."

"Figured." Sitting back in her chair, Yang blew a breath of air through her lips. "You know what you need to do?" she said, suddenly sitting forward and looking far more determined than Ruby would like. "You need to get out there and be super forward."

"Uh…"

"Yeah! Like when I met Blake - I walked right up to her and told her she was beautiful."

"And she told you to take a hike," Ruby added, but Yang waved off the response.

"Only temporarily! Then we bumped into each other again and she wanted to talk."

"You tracked her down and profusely apologized for using the stupid line."

"Well whatever! I was still super forward and got the girl, so it works."

Rolling her eyes, Ruby glanced towards the bar and suddenly wished she was one of the patrons sitting there. Watching television or talking to friends...and not going through her love life with her sister.

"I got it," Yang suddenly whispered, tapping Ruby's arm to get her attention. "Now's the perfect time! Go ask that girl for her number."

When Yang nodded towards one of the patrons at the bar - the prettiest and therefore most intimidating - Ruby shook her head and scoffed.

"No way."

"Come on, you can do this! Use what I taught you and woo her off her feet! Or off the barstool - whatever."

Ruby glanced at the girl again, with her long, perfectly-styled white hair cascading down her back, and her slim figure fitting perfectly into her evening dress. Just looking at her made Ruby's heart flutter. And when she imagined talking to her...

"I'm sure she doesn't want to be bothered," Ruby said, turning away and shaking her head. "She just wants to have a nice night without getting hit on by strangers."

"How do you know that without talking to her?"

"I just know by looking at her!"

The comment seemed pretty accurate. The girl's posture didn't invite conversation. Neither did the way she slowly stirred the drink in front of her while staring at her phone.

"I'll give you a hundred bucks if you can get her number right now."

Now _that_ changed things. A hundred dollars paid for Ruby's meal _and_ another.

"Really?"

Yang nodded and drew an 'X' over her heart with one finger. "I swear," she said at the same time. "If you can bring back her number, I'll give you a hundred bucks."

When Ruby was about to ask whether or not Yang even had the money, she pulled out her wallet and removed a hundred dollar bill. Adding some drama to the dare, she slapped the money down on the table before sliding it closer to Ruby.

"Whatcha say?"

Considering a hundred dollars was several free dinners and the worst that could happen was Ruby royally embarrassed herself, she decided she might as well go along with it. If Yang wanted to lose money, then Ruby was willing to take it.

"Fine."

Yang's eyes widened at the answer. "Seriously?"

"Yang," Ruby said, shaking her head when Yang laughed.

"Ok, ok. Can't wait to see this."

With Yang sitting back in her chair to watch, Ruby stood up and took a deep breath.

This didn't have to be a big deal. Maybe it would get Yang to stop asking about her love life all the time. Plus, free money was always good. And, selfishly, she wanted to prove that she wasn't as big of a dunce as Yang thought she was. She could talk to girls! Even pretty ones.

Of course, _this_ girl was beyond pretty. She was gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. The type of beautiful seen in magazines and movies, but never in real life.

And as Ruby walked over, she realized just how attracted she was to this girl in particular.

With a hundred dollars on the line, she stopped near the bar and cleared her throat. The sound drew a piercing blue gaze her way, which dried out her mouth and forced her to lick her lips before continuing.

"Hey," she managed to get out. When the girl smiled at the greeting, Ruby immediately blushed.

"Hey."

With that slightly-amused smile still in place, the girl turned away from the bar and gave Ruby her full attention - and Ruby felt her brain short-circuit. It was so hard to concentrate with those eyes looking at her, and that smile aimed at her, and that _dress_ begging her to look down.

"My, uh, my sister said she'd give me a hundred bucks if I can get your number," she stammered out, accidentally glancing down and blushing the instant she saw smooth, white curves. "So I was hoping...you could write it down for me…"

As expected, this situation was amusing to everyone not named Ruby, as evidenced by the musical laugh that further deepened her blush and attraction to the girl sitting in front of her.

"A hundred dollars?"

"Yeah," Ruby replied, smiling at how silly the dare sounded. "She think I'm horrible with girls."

As soon as the comment slipped out and blue eyes flashed with excitement, Ruby knew she was in trouble. That sense of trouble only increased when the girl drew a lithe finger across the bartop before trailing it up Ruby's arm. Goosebumps immediately appeared, and she found herself craving what came next - whatever it might be.

"You know…maybe you should show your sister how good you are with girls."

Ruby hadn't yet processed the comment before a hand grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her forward. The moment her lips met another pair, however, sparks flew through her veins and her body responded in kind. The hand let go of her shirt and wove through her hair instead, sending shivers of thrill down her spine while she gave in and returned the kiss in earnest.

The attraction and desire she'd held at bay the entire evening finally burst free, greedily accepting the outlet while accepting the warm tongue that slipped into her mouth.

She'd seen the girl walk into the restaurant. She'd noticed the dress - meant to draw eyes as it accentuated all the right places. And she'd caught the lustful glances snuck her way when she 'wasn't looking.'

Even though Ruby had the better position, she ceded dominance to the girl sitting on the stool in front of her. Their tongues swirled together while she pressed closer, grasping onto thin, smooth hips through the fabric of the dress. She heard the soft moans of delight from the girl in her hands, spurring her even further.

But when one of those sounds reached a certain pitch, both of them pulled away, abruptly remembering they were in public and that they'd gone as far as they should go.

Trying to catch her breath and wishing away her rampant blush, Ruby watched in fascination and arousal as the girl calmly pulled a pen and slip of paper from her bag and wrote down her number.

"This is for you only," she said, handing it over with a smile and wink that did nothing to douse the flames burning in Ruby's chest.

"T-thanks," Ruby stammered before noticing the glances the bartender kept giving her. Feeling her blush double in intensity, she gave the girl a parting smile before hurrying back to her table - where Yang was staring at her in slack-jawed shock.

"Did it," she mumbled while seeking the refuge of her seat.

"Holy - _hell!_ " Yang replied, her eyes wide as she looked between Ruby and the bar multiple times. "Did that really just happen? How did you do that?"

When Yang's phone buzzed on the table, she snatched it, read the message, and sighed. " _Of course_ Blake's ready now. Ok, you're coming over tomorrow to explain what the hell just happened."

"Sure," Ruby mumbled, hoping Yang would forget between now and then. Either that, or Ruby would come up with a passable explanation between now and then.

"You totally earned that," Yang said, still grinning like mad while pushing the money across the table. She then gathered the rest of her belongings and stood up to leave, but didn't walk away without stopping by Ruby's side and glancing towards the bar.

"She's hot though - good job."

Ruby's blush returned when Yang winked before walking away. At this rate, she was going to be embarrassed for the rest of her life, but...it might be worth it.

Finally alone, she sighed and snuck a glance towards the bar. Spotting the girl of her dreams standing up, her heart pounded while butterflies fluttered through her chest. That feeling only increased when blue eyes held her gaze and another drop-dead gorgeous smile appeared.

By the time the chair across from her pulled out and her second dinner guest sat down, Ruby could hardly believe her luck.

"Hey."

Clearly an imitation of Ruby's less-than-steller greeting from before, she smiled and shook her head.

"Sorry, Weiss," she replied. "I didn't think that would take so long, but she didn't want to leave."

"That's ok." Picking up the menu Yang had left behind, Weiss calmly opened it before a slow, seductive smile appeared. "I actually enjoyed the wait."

When Weiss winked at her, Ruby felt her blush grow to catastrophically-hot levels.

"Yeah, I should, uh...probably tell her soon, right?"

"It's up to you," Weiss replied, giving the same patient, courteous answer she'd always given. "I personally don't mind this way either. It's rather...entertaining."

When Weiss laughed - the light, happy laugh that made Ruby's heart beat loudly in her chest - Ruby shook her head and smiled. It was impossible _not_ to be happy when spending time with Weiss, which was a new experience in and of itself. Beautiful, intelligent, kind, and generous - she was exactly the type of woman Ruby dreamed of being with. Somehow convincing someone like that to date her though? She didn't understand how she'd ever gotten so lucky.

Maybe that's why she was hesitant to tell Yang - because she didn't want to jinx this. Or she didn't want to get dumped and then have everyone feel sorry for her, while secretly thinking that Weiss was way out of her league anyway.

Considering they'd been dating for months now...maybe it was time to get over those fears.

"Well get anything you want," Ruby added, grinning at Weiss while picking up the money on the table. "Yang's paying for dinner."

"I'll remember to thank her if we ever meet," Weiss replied with another stunning smile, before her eyes flashed with excitement and delight. "I expect to continue that kiss later though."

Again, Ruby blushed. And she stared at her menu for several long seconds before clearing her throat and meeting Weiss' gaze.

"Good thing I have your number now," Ruby replied, lifting up the slip of paper and smiling when Weiss laughed.

"God, you're so cute," Weiss remarked, a few more light laughs slipping out before she turned her attention to the menu. Ruby's cheeks burned from the compliment, but...she couldn't stop smiling if someone paid her to.


	40. Surprise! - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Weiss seeks a little revenge.**

* * *

For the longest time, Blake just stared. Her ears didn't move, her eyes never flicked away, and her hand remained lightly atop her cup of tea.

"Are you...serious?" she finally asked.

Weiss ignored the disbelief while purposefully nodding. She _was_ serious. Very serious.

"Yes, and I need your help to pull it off."

"But...what did Ruby ever do to you?"

Sighing at the question, which had popped up once or twice during the course of her planning, Weiss tried to come up with an understandable response.

"I love Ruby," she began, wanting to get that bit out of the way first. "She's sweet, adorable, driven, a really good kisser, and the love of my life. But let me paint a picture for you..."

* * *

 **One Day Ago**

As soon as the sauce reached a boil, Weiss turned the heat to low so it could simmer for the next few minutes. The noodles weren't quite ready yet, but it wouldn't be long before everything came together for dinner.

Ruby loved spaghetti probably an unhealthy amount, so Weiss had decided to try something new tonight - alfredo. Logically, she understood this was only a half-step away from spaghetti, but her hope was to move from alfredo to something with a different source of protein and _maybe_ some vegetables.

They weren't kids anymore, and cookies no longer counted as part of a nutritious meal. Cookies were _never_ part of a nutritious meal, actually, but that was an argument Weiss had tried and failed to win far too many times. Undoing Yang's teachings proved to be exceedingly difficult sometimes...

Pulling out a noodle and testing it for doneness, Weiss hummed in satisfaction before turning off the stove. Grabbing the set of rose-patterned pot holders Ruby had given her as a gift, she carried the pot to the sink and poured the noodles into a strainer. Once most of the water was shaken out, she headed back to the stove to add the noodles to the sauce.

Ruby would be home any minute now, and Weiss wanted -

"Hey Weiss!"

When Ruby appeared in the kitchen out of nowhere, Weiss jumped in surprise.

Unfortunately, the act of jumping didn't sit well with the noodles, which leapt out of the strainer and onto the floor with a loud plop. Looking at the mess while her heart threatened to beat out of her chest, she sighed.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Taking the strainer from Weiss' hands, Ruby knelt down and scooped up many of the noodles as she could. They were still slippery though, so they ended up spreading further across the floor first. Ruby quickly realized the batch was no longer edible, but she looked up at Weiss and smiled. "I'll help you make more!"

* * *

 **Four Days Ago**

When Weiss was young, she expected a life filled with extravagant events and exorbitant parties. She was a Schnee, after all, and being a Schnee meant she had a certain social status to uphold.

Well, to hell with being a Schnee. She and Ruby spent most of their free time enjoying each other's company within the comfort of their home or visiting with one or two close friends.

She loved her life now, but there were still moments - like this one - when she found the joy in a fancy evening. Realistically, she probably only enjoyed it because it didn't happen often, but that knowledge did nothing to stop the growing excitement she felt while getting ready.

Secretly, she loved dressing up. Not only so she could wear something elegant and fancy, but because _Ruby_ would be equally elegant and fancy. And Ruby in a dress was a vision Weiss could never get enough of...

Picking out her favorite earrings - a pair Ruby had given her for their second anniversary - Weiss used the mirror to help her fix them in place. Once done, she nodded at her reflection and picked up a tube of lipstick. She knew Ruby loved when she wore lipstick, and she secretly loved leaving red lip marks on Ruby - only on the cheek, of course. At least, only on the cheek in public…

After pulling off the cap and twisting the bottom, she leaned forward to apply a thin layer. No sooner had she touched the tip to the corner of her mouth, however, did she see something flash in the mirror before Ruby suddenly appeared over her shoulder.

She jumped in surprise and drew a line of lipstick across her cheek.

Setting down the tube of lipstick with a sigh, Weiss looked in the mirror and shook her head.

"You're so cute!" Ruby squealed before pressing her cheek to Weiss'. When she pulled away, she had an identical, yet slightly-faded line of red on her cheek. "Now we'll match!"

* * *

 **Seven Days Ago**

"No, Yang, I'm not doing that."

"Why not?"

"Why not? Because it sounds ridiculous. Why would I ever want to go to a costume party?" Putting her scroll between her shoulder and her ear, she submerged another dirty dish in the basin of water in the sink and rolled up her sleeves so she could wash it.

"Uh, because it'll be super fun. I'm dressing up as a cat."

Hands just above the water, Weiss paused and looked up.

"Does Blake know?"

"Nope!"

When Yang laughed, Weiss smiled and dipped her hands into the sink to grab the first dish.

"You like to live on the edge, don't you? You know she'll -"

" _Weiss._ "

Weiss gasped at the voice in her ear and watched her scroll drop into the water with a splash. Letting out a soft 'eep' of surprise, Ruby quickly reached into the sink and pulled it out. The damage, unfortunately, had already been done, as the screen flickered before shutting off completely.

"I'll get you a new one," Ruby whispered before kissing Weiss on the cheek. "I just wanted to let you know I'm home. I missed you!"

* * *

"What's this about Yang dressing up as a cat?"

"Not relevant," Weiss replied before leveling Blake with a serious look. "And don't pretend you wouldn't enjoy it."

When Blake turned a dark shade of red and avoided Weiss' gaze, Weiss waved a hand to bring them back on track.

"Now you understand, right? After what I've been through, don't I deserve a little retribution?"

"But...it sounds like she loves you a lot."

Weiss sighed at the response and gently swirled the coffee in her cup.

"She does."

"So, in return, you want to scare the living daylights out of her?"

When Blake phrased it that way, it sounded rather bad. But Blake hadn't lived through what Weiss had lived through.

"I think it's time she learns what it's like," Weiss replied with a determined nod.

"You still love her, right?"

"Of course I do." Weiss sat back and scoffed at the idea that she didn't. "I love her more than anything in this world. But if I die from a heart attack, I won't be around to love her any longer."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Ok..."

"So, are you in?"

This time, Blake sighed. "Sure, I'll help."

* * *

 **Two Days Later**

Ruby got home half an hour ago, and Weiss had walked around the house on pins and needles ever since. Right now, they were talking in the kitchen like they normally did, but she _knew_ what was about to happen.

The only problem was that she didn't know exactly when. But, sometime tonight, Blake would help Weiss exact her revenge in the form of a well-timed scare. She'd left the backdoor unlocked, like Blake requested, and Ruby got home right when Weiss had expected. Now, she waited.

The longer she waited, the more she wondered why this was taking so long. If Blake was already here somewhere, why hadn't she appeared yet? Was she happy sleuthing around eavesdropping on their conversation? Was she looking for the perfect time when Ruby was more off guard?

" - and _then_ I was ready to go," Ruby concluded before turning to Weiss with a wide grin.

"Sounds like an exciting day," she replied while glancing around the kitchen for the hundredth time. Was Blake here somewhere, and Weiss just couldn't see her? Several years ago, Weiss wouldn't have believed such spying would be possible, but she knew better than to doubt Blake's abilities.

"Not more than the usual, I don't think. Are you ok?"

Blinking at the question, Weiss quickly refocused on Ruby.

"What do you mean?"

"You've just been a little distracted."

"Oh." Realizing that her determination to find Blake was detracting from her evening with Ruby, she smiled and made an effort to be more present in this moment. "Sorry, I was just trying to think of what we should do tonight."

"Any good ideas?"

"Maybe a movie?"

Before even making the suggestion, Weiss knew it would be a hit. Ruby loved watching movies almost as much as she loved eating spaghetti. And, as far as she was concerned, the more horribly acted, the better.

"That sounds awesome!" Hopping off her barstool, Ruby walked over to Weiss and grabbed ahold of her hands. After pulling Weiss to her feet, Ruby held onto one hand and led them towards the living room. "You want to pick tonight?"

Presented with the opportunity to select a more watchable film, Weiss declined. She always declined. As far as she was concerned, the happiness Ruby gained from watching a horrible movie was equivalent to the happiness she gained from Ruby's happiness.

"I'll let you choose this time," she replied. The smile Ruby gave her made her heart flutter in her chest, and she felt immediately rewarded for giving up her selection. Ruby always had a way of making Weiss feel rewarded for small actions like these. It was, in Weiss' mind, the driving force behind the strides she'd made as a person ever since Beacon.

When they walked into the entryway, with the living room just across from them, she remembered she'd left her new scroll on the island in the kitchen.

"Oh, wait," she said while pulling that direction. "My scroll -"

Without a second thought, she turned around -

And found Blake standing right in front of her.

She screamed. She screamed and jumped into Ruby's arms like Blake was wielding a flamethrower and machete instead of just standing in the entrance to the kitchen.

Everything froze while the scream echoed throughout the entryway, reverberating off the walls and floor before finally fading away. Weiss already felt her cheeks heating up at what just happened, and then Ruby giggled.

"You're so adorable," she cooed while pulling Weiss closer and nuzzling her cheek. Blake, meanwhile, shook her head.

"I don't think Ruby's the problem here..."

Weiss made a face at Blake but found it hard to hold onto her agitation when Ruby squeezed her comfortingly close.

"You wanna hang out?" Ruby asked, completely unperturbed by Blake's unexplained appearance in their home. "We're gonna watch a movie!"

"No, that's ok. I'm meeting Yang for dinner."

"Oh, ok. Sounds fun. Thanks for stopping by! It was good to see you!"

After giving Ruby a look that was part confusion and part disbelief, Blake shook her head and walked past them.

"See you guys later..."

Ruby waved while Blake let herself out through the front door and Weiss tried to find her heart. It seemed to have jumped right out of her chest, but should be around here somewhere…

"Did you know she was here?" Ruby asked while resting her chin on Weiss' shoulder. Relaxing into the hug, Weiss felt her heart return and struggled to come to terms with what just happened.

"It wouldn't have mattered if I did…" she grumbled. She wanted to be annoyed with herself, but then Ruby kissed the top of her head before leaning down and placing a soft one on her ear.

"You're so cute," Ruby whispered before burrowing into Weiss' neck. "I love you so much."

Setting a hand overtop of Ruby's and sighing at the feeling of content and happiness flowing through her, Weiss decided that it no longer mattered that Ruby scared her nearly every day. What did it matter if Ruby gave her a heart attack? Her heart belonged to Ruby, and Ruby could do with it what she wanted.

But how the hell did that not scare her?


	41. A Great Guy - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee  
** **Summary: Sun invites a girl over.**

* * *

"Hey Blake."

When Sun raced into the room, Blake didn't look up from her book. Instead, she turned the page and mumbled a soft "hey" in return.

"I invited a girl over tonight."

That comment, however, pulled her attention away from her reading. "Another date?" she asked while watching him buzz around the kitchen - checking the fridge, then the cupboards, then the pantry before finally nodding.

"Don't tell her that." He chuckled at the 'joke' but quickly changed his tune when he noticed the look Blake gave him. "I mean, she's only coming over to watch the fight, but I'm _hoping_ that spending a couple hours with me will sweep her off her feet."

When he made a sweeping gesture with both arms, Blake tried her best not to laugh. "Right..." was all she said instead, knowing exactly how Sun operated when it came to chasing girls. Seeing as how he was attractive, easy-going, and friendly, he had no problem inviting a string of 'dates' back to their shared apartment. It was converting those visits into a long-time girlfriend that seemed to be the sticking point.

"'K, she'll be here soon. I gotta do my hair." Without another word, he hurried back to his room.

"You have like no hair," Blake called after him before shaking her head and setting her book on the end table. If he and his not-date were going to be out here watching TV, she would sequester herself in her bedroom to read in peace. As much fun as it was to watch two people incessantly flirt with each other, she didn't want to rain on his parade.

Seeing as how she didn't know how long this 'date' would last, however, she first went into the kitchen to find some food or snacks to take with her. She knew Sun wouldn't mind if she interrupted in order to get food, but sometimes what she saw upon interrupting was far more uncomfortable for her than him. Fortunately, it looked like he'd stocked up on groceries in anticipation of having company, which meant there was plenty for her to choose from - one of the unexpected benefits of his womanizing.

In the midst of pulling a bottle of water from the fridge, she glanced towards the door when the doorbell rang.

"Can you get that?" he called out to her. "Tell her I'll be a couple minutes!"

Rolling her eyes at the request, she left the water on the island and went to the door. Once upon a time, she thought only girls were late getting ready because they had to do their hair and pick an outfit. Living with Sun had taught her otherwise. Either that, or he was more of a girl than she'd ever guessed.

Mentally preparing herself to greet yet another stranger and play 'nice, forgettable roommate,' she threw on a smile and pulled the front door open, only for her eyes to widen in surprise. Because standing in the hall was one of the most attractive girls she'd ever seen.

And the girl looked just as surprised to see her.

"Um...hey," the girl said with a shy smile before running a hand through her long, blonde hair in a casual motion that did nothing to lessen her beauty.

"Hi," Blake got out, staring for a few more seconds before remembering her manners. "Oh, uh, you're here to see Sun?"

The question finally shook the girl out of her staring.

"Uh, if he lives here, yes. If he doesn't, then...no."

Blake paused for a second at the confusing response but quickly shook off the feeling and motioned inside. "Come on in. He said he'd be ready in a few."

Pushing the door fully open, Blake watched the girl walk through before closing it behind her.

While Blake was no stranger to the line of beautiful girls Sun brought home, this one was on another level of attractive. From her gorgeous blonde hair to her lively purple eyes to her amazing physique that practically begged for closer inspection, she checked all the boxes.

"I'm Yang, by the way."

When Yang turned and offered her hand, Blake shook it and blushed when she noticed the way Yang was looking at her.

"Blake."

"Blake," Yang repeated before smiling. "That's a great name."

Unsure of how to respond to the compliment, Blake walked back into the kitchen and grabbed her water bottle in an effort to do _something_ other than stare.

"Sun said he had a roommate, but I wasn't expecting someone so…" When Yang's gaze drifted across Blake in a slow, deliberate way that implied much more than a casual glance, she felt another blush heat her cheeks.

"Female?" she offered, knowing that many of the girls Sun brought home expected his roommate to be another boy.

"Gorgeous," Yang corrected with another irresistible smile. And Blake saw it clearly now - a gleam of attraction in lilac eyes. She nearly turned away from the look, but she couldn't. Not when the feeling was more than mutual. Instead, she stared right back and felt her own desire grow.

But this was Sun's 'not-date.' He'd invited Yang over so he could hit on her and try to sleep with her. That knowledge hadn't bothered Blake until right now, as an unfamiliar feeling bubbled up in her chest. Was it...jealousy?

She'd never been jealous of Sun before, but she'd also never taken such an instant liking to one of the girls he invited over.

"Would you like something to eat?" she asked in lieu of responding to the 'gorgeous' compliment. Yang had to know she was gorgeous too. Surely, people told her that all the time.

"I'm good." Waving off the offer, Yang leaned against the counter and grinned. "I'm just here to watch the fight. I didn't plan on getting too...cozy."

Something in the way Yang gave the response struck Blake as odd. If Yang wasn't planning on getting too 'cozy,' why would she come over to a boy's apartment by herself? Blake could only imagine the level of charm Sun used whenever he and Yang met, and his intentions had to be obvious.

"You realize he's going to try to sleep with you," she replied without thinking. She wished she could take the words back as soon as they slipped out but, thankfully, Yang didn't look at all surprised or offended by the news.

"Yeah, I know," she said before pointing to her hair. "Blonde, not blind."

The unconcerned response confused Blake more than anything else, as she couldn't imagine knowingly walking into such a situation.

"Then...why come over?" As soon as she asked the question, she realized the answer - and realized that she didn't want to think or talk about it. If _that's_ what was going to happen in the apartment today, maybe she would just leave. Good for Sun, but...

"Because he said he paid for the fight," Yang answered with an easy shrug that erased Blake's aversion to the topic. "And he seems like a great guy - I'm hoping we can be friends."

"Even though he's trying to sleep with you," Blake reiterated, surprised by how nonchalant Yang was with the situation. Even now, she laughed before responding.

"I have a lot of friends who, at some point or another, tried to sleep with me." After pausing for a second, she added "guys and girls."

Now, Blake wasn't blind either. She understood exactly what Yang was saying with her words, eyes, and body language. All three gave a very clear signal that Blake should go for it. That Yang _wanted_ her to go for it - and she definitely wanted to. But she hardly opened her mouth to respond when Sun walked into the kitchen.

"Yang!"

Wearing the charming smile Blake recognized as his 'talking to an attractive girl' smile, Sun gave Yang a friendly hug. His hair looked the same as when Blake saw him last, but she didn't mention that his efforts were wasted upon her.

"Hey Sun." Yang returned the hug and smile before stepping away and nodding towards Blake. "Quite the roommate you've got here."

Blake's blush returned at the subtle compliment, but Sun didn't pick up on it while turning towards her with a big smile.

"Oh yeah, Blake's awesome! And the best roommate I've ever had - she's so _clean_."

When Sun motioned around their clean and tidy apartment, Yang laughed. "I don't know why I expected you to live with another guy. This is...way better."

Combined with another subtle compliment was a look that sent butterflies fluttering through Blake's chest. She didn't want to read into it too much, but that wasn't the type of look she normally received. Part interest and curiosity, it was the _desire_ that really worked numbers on her heart. And when that desire wasn't one-sided...

"I agree," Sun replied with a light laugh. "But come on, the fight's about to start! We've got a whole bunch of stuff to eat and drink, so help yourself."

Proving his point, Sun brought out every snack they had and set it on the island, followed by every drink in the fridge. While he poured a giant bag of chips into a bowl, Yang grabbed a bottle of water and winked at Blake.

"You want to watch with us?"

Yang didn't need to say much more to express which answer she preferred - it was written in her hopeful smile and searching gaze. And Blake knew that if she declined, Yang would try to convince her otherwise. There was no way she could turn down that smile more than once, not that she wanted to say 'no' to begin with.

She had no interest in watching the fight, but she'd also never met someone so...alluring. Sequestering herself in her room while Yang sat just outside sounded like a horrible idea. Realistically, she'd come back out anyway, so she might as well just stay out here to begin with.

"Sure, I'll watch," she replied, immediately smiling when Yang broke into a huge one of her own.

"Oh yeah?" Sun cut in. "That's awesome! The more the merrier." After bumping Yang's elbow and sending her a wink, he popped a chip into his mouth and gestured towards the TV. While he walked over and plopped down on the sofa, Yang sent a wink of her own Blake's way.

"I totally agree," she replied before following Sun into the living room.

Blake watched Yang walk away, and blushed when Yang glanced over her shoulder and caught Blake in the midst of staring a little too low. Fortunately, Yang merely smiled before taking a seat beside Sun on the sofa.

Getting caught staring at someone's ass wasn't exactly the best first impression, but at least Yang wasn't offended. If anything, she looked pretty thrilled by the attention. Blake's attention, anyway.

After taking a deep breath and trying to reign in her nerves, she headed into the living room and found she had two choices in seating - the chair near the window, where she would have space to herself but a less optimal view of the screen, or the space beside Yang on the sofa.

The choice was made for her when Yang caught her gaze and gave the cushion a meaningful pat.

"So Yang," Sun said while Blake took a seat and tried not to overthink her and Yang's sudden proximity, or the way Yang leaned slightly towards her as soon as she sat down. "Did you hit the gym this morning?"

"You know I'm there every morning."

"Is that how you two met?"

As soon as Blake asked the question, Yang turned towards her and smiled, but Sun answered.

"Yup! We bump into each other in the morning sometimes. Then a few days ago she needed someone to spot her while crushing the barbell. And I was _more_ than willing to help."

When Blake wrinkled her nose at the image, Yang shook her head.

"He's a great spotter," she clarified. "The only reason I asked was because I already knew he wasn't a creep."

"Ugh, yeah." Turning up the volume a few notches, Sun shook his head. "Some of those dudes are assholes."

Yang raised her brow to say 'see?' while Blake nodded at what Yang was really trying to tell her. Even though Sun brought a lot of girls home, he treated them respectfully. And Yang's insistence upon clearing up that potential misunderstanding only made Blake like her more. Which made it even more unfortunate that Yang _was_ one of the girls he'd brought home.

"Here we go!" Tossing the remote onto the coffee table, Sun kicked his feet up and grinned once the fight took up the screen. Right now, an announcer discussed the impending fight, but it looked like the fighters were already in the ring getting ready.

"Have you ever watched before?" Yang asked in a soft voice so as not to speak over the TV.

"Bits and pieces whenever Sun's watching." Noticing how Yang scooted an inch closer on the sofa, the two of them nearly on the same cushion now, Blake willed the blush away from her cheeks and focused on the screen.

"Does that mean I can explain the rules to you?"

From Yang's smile, it was obvious she wanted to do just that, but Sun piped in before Blake could respond.

"Good luck," he said with a chuckle. "I've tried before - nothing sticks."

Rolling her eyes at his assessment, Blake didn't bother pointing out that he fired rules and facts at her like he wielded a shotgun, spraying words that hardly made sense in context to what was happening on the screen. Yang, however, glanced at Sun before turning back to Blake with an even brighter smile.

"But you seem smart," she mused, her gaze dipping to Blake's lips for a second before her smile widened. "You can probably learn anything if it's...presented right."

"Well, I'm...open to suggestions." As soon as Blake said the words and Yang's gaze dropped to her mouth again, her cheeks caught fire with another blush.

"I think I have one," Yang said anyway, her voice nothing more than a whisper as she leaned closer. "Interested in hearing it?"

If it was what Blake thought it was, she wanted to hear it. She wanted to hear Yang suggest it, even though it wouldn't work. She wouldn't learn a shred of information like that, other than what Yang's lips tasted like. And she really, really wanted to know what Yang's lips tasted like...

When Sun popped another chip in his mouth and shouted a garbled "Showtime!" however, she leaned away from the temptation.

"I think just...telling me another time might work," she said instead, noticing the flicker of disappointment in Yang's eyes. Knowing that Yang was disappointed only made her heart race faster though, adding to the steady drumming in her ears that threatened to drown out the commentator.

"Ok." Acquiescing to Blake's request, Yang turned towards the screen. "So this fight's pretty big because both fighters are undefeated."

" _Until now_ ," Sun added in a deep, mocking tone that sounded like something off of a commercial. Yang laughed at the imitation before continuing.

"Whoever wins gets like...ten million dollars or something."

"Wow, that much?"

"They pay them with Sun's money." Yang tapped Sun's shoulder at the comment, and he laughed.

"Yeah, because I totally had ten mil to drop on this fight," he joked before popping another chip in his mouth. He offered the bowl to Yang, but she raised a hand to decline before turning back to Blake.

"Up to five rounds, five minutes each," Yang continued.

"And the first round begins…" Sun raised one hand while the screen zeroed in on the two fighters standing across from one another. "Now," he said when a bell sounded and the two men approached each other.

Because Blake had no interest watching two strangers hit each other, she looked at Yang and was pleasantly surprised to find Yang equally disinterested in what was happening on the screen.

"You win by getting them to give up," Yang continued, lowering her voice to a whisper and leaning so close that Blake felt her side warm from their joined body heat. "Or knocking them out. Otherwise, the judges decide."

It sounded simple when Yang explained it, but Blake still found the concept difficult to grasp when she was far more interested in Yang. From this distance, she could see every fleck of gold in lilac eyes, and every perfectly-curled lash that only added to Yang's overall beauty.

"Oh! Damn!" Sun suddenly shouted while jumping back against the sofa and drawing their eyes away from each other. On the screen, Blake saw that one of the fighters had pinned the other to the ground and now rained blows at the other man's head. It was a little vicious for her taste, but she was surprised to find Yang watching without hesitation.

"I'm surprised you're such a big fan," Blake commented, bringing that lilac gaze back to her.

"Why? Because it's kind of violent?"

"Well...you're the first girl to come over to watch. It's usually just Sun's guy friends."

"Ah." Thankfully, Yang didn't look insulted or put off by the response. If anything, she seemed to already realize and accept that her interest was uncommon for the sport. "I watched with my dad growing up. It became something we always did together."

"That's sweet..."

"I guess." After looking momentarily embarrassed, Yang shrugged and smiled. "But since he lives back home, I find other people to watch with."

"Worked out for me!" When Sun lifted his hand, Yang laughed and bumped her knuckles against his. She then winked at Blake, as if to point out how the two of them were already acting like friends rather than anything more.

Blake had to admit that seemed to be true. Plus, it was hard to picture Yang being more than friendly with Sun while sitting so close to Blake that their legs nearly touched. But somehow, she knew that Yang wouldn't move the last inch on her own. She wouldn't touch Blake without permission but was giving all the signals that she wanted to move closer.

So Blake turned around to look at the clock in the kitchen but, while she did so, twisted her knee so that it gently bumped into Yang's. When she turned around, still with no idea what time it was, she glanced at Yang to see if she should move away or not.

Then Yang scooted even closer, until their legs were pressed against each other and their shoulders brushed. She smiled at Blake before dropping a hand onto her own thigh and leaving it there.

Everything about the gesture shouted what Yang wanted to do next. She wanted to move her hand from her thigh to Blake's - but would she? And could she really do that without Sun noticing what was going on beside him?

"Dang," he said when another bell sounded. "What do you think? Who won that one?" When he turned towards them, Yang threw on a charming smile that matched his own and nodded towards the screen to move his attention away from them.

"Too close to call," Yang replied confidently while she slowly extended her pinky and lightly touched it to Blake's leg. "They'll probably be about equal in points for the next round."

It was a light touch, but Blake suddenly wanted so much more. She didn't want to watch the fight, she wanted to be alone with Yang so they could continue this in private. Not that they needed to do _that_ already, but that's where this intimacy was quickly headed. And, while she wasn't typically the one to rush into things so quickly, she couldn't escape the growing feelings she had for the girl sitting beside her. If anything, she had the inescapable feeling that she would only like Yang more as they got to know each other better.

"You're probably right," Sun mused while looking at the screen. "Some of those kicks were _brutal_ though. I would _not_ want to be on the receiving end of those."

"Does this mean your fighting career is over before it even begins?" Yang teased him.

"Please," Sun replied with a smile and scoff. "I don't have the arms to be a fighter."

"Then why are you always over at the punching bags?"

"Because you're over there." When Sun added a wink with the comment, Blake felt a flame of jealousy rise in her chest. Yang, however, laughed and shook her head.

"Or because you get bored with the machines."

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it is!" Yang laughed even more now, especially when Sun sat back and started laughing at himself. "I've seen you use the machines for all of five seconds before hopping off and talking to someone."

"That's because...they're boring," he admitted with a growing smile. "Alright, alright. I'm at the bags because I need to use my arms somehow."

"Exactly." Satisfied with that response, Yang leaned back and looked at the television while the next round started. With Sun's attention zeroing back in on the fight, she turned towards Blake and smiled. But it was a different smile than the ones she'd seen so far. It was one that seemed to ask if she was ok with the interaction that just happened.

While she hadn't necessarily enjoyed it, the way Yang rebuffed Sun's advance was actually quite skillful. Although...maybe Blake should expect a person as beautiful as Yang to be skilled at turning down advances. Which made her acceptance of Blake's proximity all the more...exciting.

"Oh, who's reading that?" Yang leaned slightly across Blake - close enough that Blake got a good smell of whatever shampoo Yang used - to gesture towards the book left on the side table. Sun glanced that way and chuckled.

"That would be Blake. She's always reading something."

"It's a good one. Do you like it?" Yang asked, ignoring Sun in favor of smiling at Blake.

"You've read it?" Blake wasn't sure why she was so surprised by that, but she didn't typically associate a gym frequenter with an avid reader. Maybe that was because she so rarely went to the gym herself...

"Yeah!" Yang replied with a big smile. "Last year, because my sister wouldn't stop talking about it. Do you like it so far?"

"I'm really enjoying it." Kind of like how she was enjoying Yang's company...

"Ok, I won't ruin it, but let me know when you're done so we can discuss."

Blake smiled hesitantly at the response. It sounded an awful lot like Yang expected to talk after this afternoon was over. "Well, I might not finish it for another few days..." she began, but Yang nodded in understanding.

"That's fine. Whenever you're done."

"Like that will take you more than a day," Sun added with a laugh and shake of his head. "You'll have that thing done before bed tonight."

That might have been true before Blake opened the door and invited in the most attractive girl she'd ever met, who seemed to have as much of a thing for her as she did in return. But if Yang left now, Blake doubted she could think about anything else for the rest of the night.

"When you're finished," Yang repeated with a hopeful smile. "We can talk about it?"

Who was this girl that Sun invited over? Sweet, gorgeous, funny, and willing to discuss books? He'd somehow pulled Yang right out of Blake's dreams.

"I'd love to," Blake replied in a whisper. With those plans set, Yang smiled and turned back to the TV right as a commercial came on.

"Gonna get another soda," Sun said before jumping up and heading into the kitchen. Sensing an opportunity to speak with him somewhat privately, Blake quickly followed. She'd just, kind of, made future plans with Yang which felt like they could be a date - she needed to know how Sun felt before actually going through with them.

"Hey Sun," she said, glancing towards the living room to make sure Yang wasn't listening. Fortunately, Yang looked content to sit on the sofa and wait for them to return.

"Hey! Want one?" When he offered a can to her, she shook her head.

"No thanks. I was just wondering…" There were hundreds of different ways she could ask this question, but she decided to go with the most straightforward. Anything less, and she risked misunderstanding his answer. "How much do you like her?"

In the midst of opening his soda, Sun paused and furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Like...if she doesn't want to date you or, you know, hook up with you, will you be upset? Or sad?"

"Naw." Sun chuckled at the question and shook his head. "I'll just look for another. Besides, it seems like she could be a cool friend."

Blake couldn't even begin to describe her relief at his answer. The last thing she wanted was to step in and hurt Sun, but she really, really wanted to spend more time with Yang. And in a not-quite-friendly way.

"Why?" Sun asked with a growing grin. "You wanna shot?"

"Oh, that wasn't -" she tried to explain, but Sun was already laughing at her attempted lie.

"Go ahead!" He motioned towards the living room before picking up his soda. "I should warn you though - she'll probably be pretty tough to crack if even I can't get to her."

For many reasons, Blake didn't think she would have as much of a problem as Sun, but she didn't want to say as much. Instead, she smiled and gave him a quiet, "Thanks, Sun."

"Isn't that what roommates are for?" he whispered before walking back into the living room and retaking his seat beside Yang.

Blake didn't know if she agreed that roommates were supposed to set each other up or pass around each other's dates, but she also wasn't going to argue with his answer. In traditional Sun fashion, he wasn't romantically tied to the situation. At least, not yet. And with his permission - his blessing, really - she felt far more comfortable keeping the plans she'd already made with Yang.

When she returned to her seat in the living room, however, she found she was more nervous than ever. That feeling only increased when Yang scooted back to her side, their legs touching once more.

"Who do you think will win?" Yang then asked, ducking her head and leaning close enough that the words brushed softly against Blake's ear and sent a tingle of thrill down her spine.

"I, uh...the blue one."

When Yang chuckled at the flustered response, Blake felt her cheeks warm with an unmistakable glow.

"Wanna bet?" Yang offered. "If he wins, I take you out to dinner?"

The invitation was much more blatant than the first, and Blake immediately turned towards Sun to see if he'd overheard it. From his posture and the way he continued watching the fight on the screen, however, he hadn't.

"Sure," she replied with a small grin. "And if he loses?"

After sneaking a glance at Sun out of the corner of her eye, Yang leaned further forward - stopping only when her lips were tantalizingly close to Blake's.

"Then you take me out to dinner," she whispered. Surely, she knew the proximity made Blake's heart stutter and her palms clammy. Surely, she knew how much Blake wanted to kiss her right then and there, regardless of whether or not Sun was in the room. She'd walked in on him making out with his dates more times than she could count - he could handle this once.

But then Yang grinned and leaned away.

Was she teasing Blake now? Or did she not know how far she could push this when they weren't alone? Blake kind of wished she would just go for it and see what happened.

A ringing noise, which Blake immediately recognized as Sun's ringtone, drew the room's attention while he scrambled to get his phone out of his pocket. After glancing at the screen, he jumped up and motioned toward it.

"I gotta take this," he said with an apologetic smile. "Be right back." With no other explanation, he hurried to his room and closed the door.

No sooner did they hear the door close did Yang turn towards Blake.

"Ok, I know this is probably super forward," Yang began, looking hesitant yet determined to say this while they were alone. "But I really like you. You're gorgeous and witty and I'm so, so attracted to you. But I know he's your friend and I don't want to make it awkward between you two, so I can leave, but maybe I can like...call you later? And maybe we can hang out sometime in the future, if he's ok with that?"

As if Blake needed another reason to like Yang, this was it. Putting feelings aside to protect a friendship was enough to convince her not to ignore her own rapidly growing attraction. And thank god she'd already talked to Sun. Otherwise, this would be impossible to turn down, and she'd feel horrible afterward. But he told her she could have a shot, and she was going to make the most of it.

"Actually...he told me he won't be upset if you didn't want to date him."

"Oh. Really?"

"Yes," Blake replied with a nod. "He even told me that I could, you know...take a shot at you..."

Put like that, it sounded borderline offensive. Yang, however, broke into a huge smile.

"Then...in the interest of still being super forward...can I kiss you?"

"Please."

For a split second, Blake considered how desperate that response sounded, but any embarrassment evaporated when Yang leaned forward and kissed her. Fireworks burst in her chest at the feeling of Yang's lips pressed against hers in a kiss so soft and sweet it couldn't possibly be real. It felt amazing. She didn't understand how it felt so amazing, but she wasn't complaining.

When Yang started pulling away, however, disappointment that surged through Blake's veins.

"No..." she murmured, allowing Yang only a breath's distance away before pushing forward and bringing their lips together once more. This time, Yang understood the permissions Blake was granting, and their kiss immediately deepened.

Blake felt the desire Yang poured through her lips, and _feeling_ just how much Yang wanted this only made her own desire grow. She felt Yang's hand sliding up her thigh, while she ran a hand through Yang's hair and tried to press even closer. Their lips parted in unison, and her longing exploded as soon as she felt Yang's tongue slide into her mouth.

As the room heated up, her skin heated in turn, especially as Yang's hand made it to her waist and played with the hem of her shirt. Wrapping her hand around the back of Yang's neck, she pulled them even closer, trying to give Yang all the permission she needed to continue.

"Are you - sure?" Yang got out between frenzied kisses. Their lips locked back together as the tips of her fingers slipped under Blake's shirt, reinforcing just how sure Blake was that she wanted this to continue.

Before she could respond, however, she heard footsteps. And then the footsteps abruptly stopped.

A blush started before she even pulled away, and multiplied in intensity the moment she found Sun standing slack-jawed at the entrance of the living room. From the look on his face as he stared at them, there wasn't even a point in trying to play this off as anything other than what it was.

Yang moved slightly further away and glanced at Blake, clearly asking what their response to this should be. And Blake cleared her throat while trying to think of something to say, but Sun beat her to it.

" _Damn_ ," he said, breaking into a bright smile. "I should take lessons from you!"

Although still mortally embarrassed, Blake smiled when she heard Yang laugh from beside her.

"Sorry, Sun," Yang replied, setting a hand on Blake's knee and sending her a warm smile. But Sun quickly shook his head and waved off the apology.

"Don't worry about it. I can tell when a girl's not digging me - just didn't realize you were digging Blake instead."

"Yeah…" Yang chuckled a little nervously while running one hand through her hair and turning towards Blake. "I really am."

That look of desire was back, and it relit the flame in Blake's chest.

"Do you want to watch the rest of the fight?" Blake asked, feeling her gaze drawn to Yang's irresistible lips. "Or…?"

"Actually, I'm gonna take off," Sun added before Yang replied. "That was one of my friends - he said they're watching the rest of the fight at a bar with some hot girls." He grinned and winked at Blake. "And it looks like I'm in need of another."

Her blush fully returned, but she didn't argue while he grabbed his things and left the apartment behind. She stared at the closed door for several seconds before smiling.

"You know, you were right," she said, returning her gaze to Yang and shivering with thrill at the open want in lilac eyes.

"About what?" The moment Yang's hand returned to Blake's thigh, Blake decided they should move somewhere more private in case Sun decided to come back sooner rather than later. Grabbing Yang's hand, she stood and smiled when Yang immediately stood with her.

She couldn't believe her luck. First, that Sun had found someone so amazing. That he invited Yang over to their apartment. And then that he happily stepped aside when Blake fell for Yang hard and fast.

"He's a great guy," she answered before tugging Yang towards her bedroom.


	42. The Great Heist - BY

**Pairing: Bumblebee  
Summary: Yang finds an unexpected way out of a bad situation.**

* * *

After scanning the room in front of her, Yang found nothing of interest. Which was good - lack of interest was a very good thing. At least, today it was.

Reaching the far wall of the room, she smiled at a little boy excited to be out of the classroom for a day before beginning her slow, meandering pace back to the other side of the lobby. The trick was to look casual and not-too-interested. It should be a bored pace, not an anxious pace. Fortunately, for her and her…'associates,' she'd mastered the 'bored out of her mind' walk long ago. It was a lazy saunter that suggested she had nowhere better to be when, in actuality, there was a very specific reason for her position in the lobby today.

Making it to the other side, still 'bored out of her mind,' she paused and pulled out her phone. Lifting it up as if reading a text, she muttered a soft, "You clear yet?" that anyone who overheard would think was meant for whatever she saw on the screen. Instead, a voice crackled to life in her ear.

"Just made it out," Ruby replied, sounding chipper as usual despite the circumstances. "We're all good."

"Perfect." Putting her phone away, Yang smiled at the nearby worker before directing her meander towards the closest exit.

"I like how you don't care at all if I'm ok," another voice huffed in her ear. She masked her smile at the agitated words with a friendly nod towards a family heading towards the ticket counter for a fun day at the museum.

"She just assumes you are because you're awesome!"

As usual, Ruby diffused Weiss' irritation in less than ten words. Yang still heard some muffled grumbles through the microphone hidden near her ear, but Weiss didn't come up with another gripe. Not yet, at least, but another complaint was always somewhere on the horizon when Weiss Schnee was involved.

Until then, there was blissful silence and blissful freedom just up ahead. As soon as Yang walked through those wide open doors, she would rendezvous with Ruby and Weiss and -

Two uniformed police officers hurried through the doorway then, while two more took up positions blocking the exit. Yang slowed to a stop at their sudden presence, her heart racing in her chest, but calmly turned around and walked the other way.

"We've got company," she whispered while heading towards the next closest exit, maintaining her slow pace so as not to draw attention.

"How?" Ruby replied. "We disabled everything."

"We must've missed something…" Weiss mused, both of them probably looking through the scanner reports. "Shit. We missed something."

That was bad news, as was the pair of officers already standing at door number two. They weren't causing a commotion - yet - so as not to scare the crowds of families and schoolchildren here on field trips. Their passive approach wouldn't last for long though. Not when they figured out what was missing.

With door number three also under surveillance, Yang sighed and turned back to the large lobby filled with small exhibits, ticket counters, restrooms, and plenty of benches.

"They got all the exits," she muttered under her breath while walking to a nearby bench. "I'll try to get to the secondary meet-up - ditching comms now." She heard a mumbled expletive while running a hand through her hair, subtly removing her tiny headset, and flicking it into the nearest trash can. With that disposed of, she picked a spot on the end of the bench and observed the fiasco from there.

The first officers had gone right to the front desk before disappearing deeper into the museum. The others manned every door and probably the side exits, as well. The sudden police presence shifted the tone of the lobby, with parents casting concerned glances towards the officers while children openly stared in awe. Without a single word, everyone knew something was up. Something _big_.

This was less good.

Yang didn't have any money on her to buy a ticket, so she couldn't attempt another exit within the museum - but it didn't look like the employees were letting anyone in anyway. She couldn't just walk through the doors either, not with cops at every single one. She'd have to wait and see what they did, and hope she could convince them she was just here...by herself...checking out the sights.

Another girl sat on the bench with her, but she spared only a glance while coming up with her cover story. Maybe she was a local student studying history who wanted to be inspired by visiting today. Maybe she was waiting for her friends, or a date, and they were late - again.

More officers arrived, at least half a dozen hurrying through the door before spreading apart and canvasing the lobby. She watched them as closely as possible while also trying not to draw any attention her way. From the look of it, they were going person-to-person checking belongings, asking questions, then sending people towards one of the exits when they didn't warrant further suspicion.

This was better, but Yang needed to be inconspicuous enough to be sent on her way without a second thought.

As one of the officers grew closer, she thought about her cover story some more. The issue was...being alone automatically increased suspicion. If she was _with_ someone…

Her gaze flitted to the side then, taking far more interest in the girl sitting beside her. With long, raven hair and beautiful amber eyes, the girl was drop-dead gorgeous. And, even better, she was alone.

Yang saw the officer send another group towards the exit, so quickly slid across the bench towards her new best friend. The officer would reach them soon, and she needed to prove to him that she wasn't here alone.

"Hey, so, big favor to ask," she hurriedly whispered to the girl, who looked her way with interest. "Can you kiss me?"

"You read my mind."

The answer hadn't sunk in before the girl grabbed the front of Yang's shirt and pulled her into a kiss.

And not just a peck on the lips, either - it was a _kiss_. Long, deep, and enough to make Yang's heart flutter while responding to the passion in kind. Soft lips moved across her own while an unfamiliar shampoo or perfume filled her nose, making her very much aware that she was making out with a stranger. A beautiful stranger who was also a _really_ good kisser…

Pressing closer, Yang slid her hand behind the girl's neck and, for a brief second, felt the girl pause. That hesitation lasted only a second, however, before a lithe hand wove into Yang's hair and gave a satisfying tug.

The tug pulled her closer, and she felt the girl taking control of the situation in a way that nearly made her miss the sound of someone clearing their throat. She thought she heard it, but the kiss continued, so she ignored it. It wasn't until the raven-haired girl pulled away - her lips slightly parted and her pupils dilated - that Yang heard the sound again: someone very conspicuously clearing their throat.

Turning to the side, she found the police officer trying not to stare at them.

"Excuse me, ladies," he said, directing his gaze towards the empty bench beside Yang while a soft blush reddened his cheeks. "There's been an incident in the museum and...can you please state your reason for visiting today?"

Yang glanced at the girl, who gave her a smile and a nod as permission to answer.

"Uh, we're here on a date," she said, glancing at the girl to see if she would complain. She didn't - she nodded instead.

"Do you have any bags with you?" the officer followed up, quickly glancing over them to answer the question himself.

"Uh, no." Yang looked towards the girl to see if she had any bags, but she shook her head as well.

"Ok. The museum is being closed for the day, so we need you to leave immediately. Sorry for any inconvenience." When he motioned them towards the nearest exit, Yang tried to look confused by the 'unexpected' news.

"Is everything ok?" she asked with fake concern while standing up.

"Everything's fine. Don't worry, we have it under control."

Taking that response as her cue to leave, she glanced towards the raven-haired girl before shrugging. The two of them then walked to the exit together, where the other officers gave them a friendly nod while stepping out of the way and letting them leave.

And, just like that, Yang was free.

Hurrying down the front steps of the museum and passing at least a dozen cop cars parked along the street, Yang was surprised when the raven-haired girl followed her away from the growing police presence and towards a quieter section of the city.

"You lost?" Yang asked, not pausing her rapid pace for fear of the police figuring out they let one of the culprits walk.

"No. Are you?"

Tilting her head, Yang gave the girl a curious glance before shaking her head. "No. Just...hanging out." That statement might've seemed a little strange when she ducked into an alleyway to get off the main road. When the girl still trailed her, Yang paused in the midst of the alley and smiled at her unexpected partner-in-crime.

"You're a really good kisser," she said with a wink. "Maybe we can continue that sometime?"

The raven-haired girl, who'd been so agreeable in the museum, rolled her eyes and walked away.

"We wouldn't have had to do that if you'd left when you had the chance."

Yang froze at the response, watching the girl walk several more paces before jogging to catch up.

"Wait a second - how do you know -?"

"Think you're the only ones after something?" the girl replied with a smug smile while Yang's mind raced with questions.

"Uh...yeah?"

"Not even. You're just the only ones getting caught." When the girl scoffed and shook her head, Yang's jaw dropped while she followed across the next street and into the alley beyond.

"Who are you?" The girl glanced at Yang out of the corner of her eye before turning away. "Don't I get at least a first name?" Yang added. "I mean, we _did_ just kind of make out."

The girl's lips turned up in a tiny smile at that. "Blake," she said, turning down the next street while leading them further and further from the museum.

Still following if only to find out more, Yang grinned at the name and at whoever this person was beside her. She knew to be careful of rival thieves, but...they _had_ just kind of made out…

"Nice to meet you, Blake" she replied with a smile. The two of them froze when a car flew by the street in front of them, then relaxed in unison when it didn't stop. "I'm Yang," she added. "How did you know what we were doing?"

"I didn't until one of you tripped a circuit."

Yang sighed at the response and grumbled "probably the ice queen..." under her breath.

"I was trying to be nice," Blake replied, stopping in the alley and giving Yang another smirk. "You tripped it when you planted that cloaker behind the ticket counter. You put it too close to the mainframe."

Jaw dropping, Yang stared at the girl in front of her, who'd somehow figured out everything she'd done while she hadn't even noticed the attention.

" _Who_ are you?" she asked again. Before Blake answered, however, her eyes flitted over Yang's shoulder when they both heard another car engine nearby. This time, however, the sound grew closer - not a good thing.

"Shit."

Before Yang could even look over her shoulder, Blake grabbed her by the front of her shirt, turned her around, and pushed her into the nearest wall. A soft huff of air left Yang's lungs when her back hit the bricks, but she didn't have time to complain before Blake's lips met hers.

Her heart fluttered again, and burst into butterflies when Blake immediately deepened the kiss. Not one to be left in the dust, Yang clutched Blake's hips closer and heard a soft moan travel straight from Blake's mouth to Yang's throat.

She understood what Blake was doing, masking them in another haze of lust to avoid suspicion, but she grew a little confused when the car engine slowed to a soft purr right beside them.

"Yang, what the hell are you doing?"

Surprised by the familiar voice, Yang broke away from Blake's lips and found an equally familiar car idling in the alleyway. And sitting in the passenger seat, looking miffed by the situation, was none other than Weiss Schnee. Ruby flashed an 'ok' sign from the driver's seat, which Yang replied to with one of her own before turning to Blake.

"I'm guessing this is your 'crew,'" Blake said, observing the situation with a healthy amount of curiosity and amusement.

"Yang," Weiss hissed again, motioning Yang into the car. Ruby, meanwhile, waved for Yang to take her time. Taking her sister's advice, Yang turned back to Blake and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Come with us." Shock registered in Blake's eyes, but Yang grasped one of her hands and added "Please come with us. We obviously need your help."

After staring at Yang for a long time, Blake glanced at the car and bit her lip. Sirens sounded in the distance, lending a layer of urgency to the answer, but Yang didn't want to leave. She didn't know this person she was inviting into their lives, but she _wanted_ to know so much more.

"Depends…" Blake finally replied while finding yet another smirk. "Can we continue that kiss later?"

Yang's heart thudded at the response, and she grinned like mad while taking Blake's hand and pulling her towards the car.

"Oh, hell yes."


	43. A Good Idea - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Ruby and Weiss do a little shopping in Atlas**

* * *

First impression of Atlas? Cold.

Second impression of Atlas? Really, really cold.

Third impression? So soul-crushingly cold, Ruby wished the streets were paved in hot coals instead of pavement. Not even coals - how about fire? Fire would work too.

"Sorry, Weiss," Yang grumbled as they looked down the street where actual people were shopping _outside_. Outside. In the elements. The singular cold, freezing element. "We've been here three minutes, and this place kinda sucks."

"I'm well aware..." Weiss muttered. The cold didn't seem to bother her too much, but something else clearly did. From the way her eyes darted around the street, checking each and every face that walked past, it looked like she expected someone to attack them at any second.

Not on Ruby's watch. Although, it'd be a little harder to protect anyone if she froze into a human icicle...

"It's t-too cold," Blake added, her teeth chattering as she ran her hands up and down her arms for warmth.

"Y-yeah," Ruby agreed while doing the same. "T-totally agree."

Now that they were here, Ruby understood Atlas' greatest tactical advantage. It wasn't discipline. It wasn't technology. It was the bone-chilling, mind-numbing cold that froze outsiders to the ground before they presented any danger.

"Well, of course it's cold - you're hardly wearing anything," Weiss scolded them, but her eyes were soft when she looked at Ruby. After a second of careful consideration, she reached up to undo Ruby's cloak, which she'd worn all the way here. "You should take this back -"

"No!" Ruby raised both hands and motioned for Weiss to keep it. "I'm fine - really. Like, not c-cold at all."

The answer would've been more convincing had her teeth not chattered in the middle. Which Weiss noticed, so she kept untying the cloak.

"Seriously," Ruby added, keeping her shivers in check this time. "I'd rather you wear it than me."

"But -"

"Nope! You're keeping it." To make her point, Ruby crossed her arms and nodded. Crossing her arms also helped warm them a little, for which she was grateful (and she wouldn't uncross them anytime soon).

Weiss looked like she wanted to argue, but then her gaze flitted over Ruby's shoulder and her brow furrowed. Curious about the look, Ruby turned around and discovered that Blake had grown tired of their back-and-forth, or the cold (or both) and decided to take matters into her own hands - she was already halfway through the door to a nearby department store with Yang right on her heels.

"Hmm...good idea."

Before Ruby processed the response, Weiss grabbed her by the arm and pulled her after their teammates. She nearly asked what this good idea was, but then they walked into the store and she _knew_. It wasn't just a good idea, either - it was a _great_ idea. One of the best, most incredible ideas anyone on their team had ever had.

"Ahh..." Ruby sighed while the heaters just inside the doors blasted her face with hot air. "You're so right..."

"Come on."

But, before she had the chance to fully thaw under the wondrous heat lamps, Weiss dragged her further into the store.

"Uh, Weiss?" she asked, not pulling away but confused about where they were going now. "Is there a reason why we aren't taking the 'fast thaw' option?"

When Weiss gave her a confused look, Ruby gestured over her shoulder to the heaters they just left behind. Sure, the rest of the store was also nice and warm, but those heaters...

"You want to stand there and get burned?"

"Yes, please," Ruby said, which only made Weiss laugh while leading her further away from the doors.

"I have a better idea."

Ruby was about to ask what could _possibly_ be better, but then they turned the corner, and she understood.

"Oh..." was her response as her eyes flitted around the room. Weiss released her arm then, which allowed her to walk further into what might as well be heaven on earth.

"You're right. This _is_ a better idea."

This section of the store was filled with clothing racks. On those racks were hangers, and on those hangers were the _fluffiest, softest, warmest-looking_ winter coats Ruby had ever seen. Each one looked ready to combat the fiercest enemy she'd ever faced - the chill of Atlas. Each looked ready to slay the beast of frost and conquer the king of ice. Each looked impervious to cold. Invincible to winter. If she had one of these jackets, she would be…

"I'll get you one."

Pulled from her thoughts, Ruby blinked in confusion before looking at Weiss.

"What?"

"I'll get you one," Weiss repeated before nodding to the selection on the store racks.

"Oh. You don't have to do that…"

"But I want to."

"Yeah, but -"

"Do you want me to keep wearing your cloak?"

Staring at Weiss, Ruby thought about the question and how she wanted to respond. Honestly, she thought Weiss looked really good in her cloak - the red went really well with Weiss' white outfit and hair. Plus, she loved that Weiss wore the cloak at all. It was something of Ruby's, but Weiss was willing to wear it, because she was willing to share with her partner.

On the flip side, Ruby was more than willing to let Weiss use, take, or have anything and everything she owned. That's what being partners was about, wasn't it? Giving everything you had to each other and never expecting anything in return.

Even if that wasn't in the Beacon handbook, that's how Ruby wanted _her_ partnership to work, and she was really happy Weiss seemed to feel the same.

"I think it looks good on you," Ruby admitted. And, even though Weiss briefly looked surprised by the answer, she gave a quick nod.

"If I'm wearing this, then you need something warmer. And, as a thank you, I'd like to get you one of these."

Weiss waved towards the rows of jackets, which Ruby considered for a long second. While she _wanted_ one, and having one was probably good for her health, it didn't seem like a fair trade.

"I don't know..."

"But I get to pick which one."

That gave Ruby reason to pause. Not because she thought Weiss would choose something horrible, but because the _risk_ of Weiss choosing something horrible somehow made the situation much more equitable.

"Deal!" Ruby agreed, noting Weiss' smile while sticking out her hand to shake on it. "Do your worst."

When Weiss' smile grew a little more smug, Ruby felt a pinprick of worry. And when Weiss immediately walked over to a hunter-green camouflage jacket that would look _horrible_ with Crescent Rose, Ruby cringed.

Maybe this was a slightly-bad idea...

Weiss probably heard Ruby's sigh of relief when she changed directions and moved to another rack - this one with mostly black coats. Which...black was fine, although more of Blake's color. But Ruby could do black. It'd be easy to keep clean too. Well, not easy to keep clean, but it wouldn't show the dirt and blood and stuff as much.

"Hmm..." Weiss hummed while picking up the sleeve and glancing at Ruby. Sensing an opportunity, Ruby waltzed over to help.

"Want me to try it on?" But she must've looked too eager, because Weiss dropped the sleeve and shook her head.

"No, that's not the one for you," she said before moving to the next rack.

"Where do you think Blake and Yang went?" Ruby asked while following Weiss past a row of blue jackets that were, thankfully, quickly dismissed.

"They sell heat lamps somewhere near the front of the store," Weiss mused, her attention much more focused on a hideous floral-printed jacket that Ruby scrunched her nose at. "I imagine Blake found it in a hurry."

That sounded like the perfect spot for Blake to recuperate, at least for a half hour or so. After all the turmoil she went through combined with the worse-than-expected temperature in Atlas, she probably needed a few minutes to soak up some serious warmth.

"Poor Yang though," Ruby added, internally sighing in relief when Weiss left the floral print behind. "She's gotta be burning up by now."

"But she's probably happy as long as Blake is."

After briefly considering the answer, Ruby nodded and caught up to Weiss.

"I think you're right," she added for good measure, but Weiss only smirked at her before passing the rack filled with _perfect_ red jackets. Ruby considered saying something, or whining, but she'd agreed to let Weiss choose...so that's exactly what she'd do.

"Have you ever realized that my name basically means 'red red,'" she commented instead, and noticed the twitch of a smile lift Weiss' lips. "Like, ruby is a type of red. And rose is _also_ a type of red."

Weiss wanted to smile - Ruby could tell she did - but she forced a straight face instead.

"You're right," she said, her tone giving away the playfulness as much as her eyes did. " _And_ Crescent Rose is red," she pointed out before turning away with a laugh that lifted Ruby's heart. "Thank you for pointing that out, Ruby," Weiss teased while bypassing the red jackets entirely. "I learn something new every day."

Even though Ruby knew Weiss was teasing her, she didn't mind in the slightest. Actually, she liked when Weiss teased her. It was especially nice right now, knowing that Weiss was stressed about being in Atlas but still able to relax enough to poke fun at Ruby.

Ruby meant what she said about staying by Weiss' side no matter what, and she felt sorry for the fool who tried to make her fail that mission. Because they were partners, and that meant she would do whatever it took to help Weiss through this. _Whatever_ it took.

"Try this one."

Looking down when Weiss pressed something into her hands, Ruby found a white jacket with small but tasteful black accents. It looked very much like something Weiss would wear, but Ruby wasn't about to complain.

"Ok," she agreed - more than ready to try one of these things on. After sliding her arms through the sleeves and zipping it up, she wrapped her arms around herself and sighed.

It was better than she'd ever dreamed of.

"Do you like it?"

Opening her eyes, she found Weiss watching with a curious expression.

"It's like being hugged by a cloud," Ruby replied. "A really, warm, really comfortable cloud."

"Then you like it?"

"I love it!"

"And the color?"

Ruby laughed at the question, which felt very much like Weiss giving her the chance to complain about the selection.

"You're the one who gets to pick," Ruby reminded her. "What do _you_ think about the color?"

The question gave Weiss reason to study Ruby closely, looking over every piece of the jacket with an intent, analytical gaze. Ruby had grown used to that look over time - it meant Weiss was taking in every bit of information she could find before making a decision. In this instance, that piece of information was Ruby. Well, Ruby and the jacket.

Once the analysis was done, Weiss met Ruby's gaze and smiled.

"I think it suits you."

That answer alone was enough for Ruby to agree to wear it for the rest of her life. But Weiss nodded towards a nearby mirror, so Ruby walked over and checked her reflection.

Weiss was right - the color worked really well with Ruby's red combat outfit. And, while it might be more difficult to keep clean, the contrast was pretty striking.

"What do you think?" Weiss asked, standing by Ruby's shoulder and leaning close to give the jacket another glance.

To answer that question, Ruby looked at the reflection in the mirror - her wearing her traditional red but with a jacket in Weiss' color, and Weiss wearing her traditional white while wearing Ruby's red cloak. It might seem like a silly thing, but...they matched. And that was totally a partner thing to do.

"I love it," she replied, smiling when Weiss met her gaze for confirmation. "I really do," she added, taking another look at her new outfit while her heart beat loudly with happiness. "Thank you, Weiss."

Weiss gave a soft hum in response, but Ruby hoped she understood the gratitude wasn't just for the jacket today. It was for being Ruby's friend, her teammate, her _partner_ , and everything that came with it. Maybe they didn't have the smoothest start but now...she couldn't imagine having any other partner in the world.

"Come on," Weiss added, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she caught Ruby's gaze in the mirror. "Let's pick out something horrendous for your sister and Blake."

Laughing at the idea - probably one of their best yet - Ruby willingly followed Weiss away from the mirror.

"I think one of them will _love_ camouflage."


	44. How to Be Funny - WR

**Pairing: White Rose implied kinda**  
 **Summary: Weiss tries to be funny**

* * *

"So then I said, 'well I dunno about that, but I've certainly seen _butter_!'"

When Ruby dissolved into giggles, Weiss glanced over and shook her head. Yang looked pretty pleased with herself, like she always did when she told a really dumb joke. Personally, Weiss didn't find them that funny, but Ruby...Ruby always laughed like they were the funniest things she'd ever heard.

Weiss wasn't jealous. Ruby _also_ laughed at the things she said or...did, usually. Most of those instances had more to do with her being 'prim' or 'proper' or any of the words Ruby used to describe Weiss' childhood, but that didn't mean she wasn't as funny as Yang. It just meant...they had different styles of humor. Yang told jokes - Weiss...behaved the only way she knew how.

"Then he asked me to dance, but I was like, 'I dunno if you wanna do that. All I know is the _slide_.'"

Blake joined in with Ruby's giggles this time - _Blake_. The one who didn't laugh - laughed at Yang's joke.

Sure, maybe that was because she was also hopelessly in love with Yang, but that couldn't be all, right? There had to be something that Weiss didn't get. Something she hadn't considered yet.

Tearing her gaze away from her notebook, she watched her teammates with a more curious gaze while they chatted and avoided homework. The way they laughed seemed genuine enough...and the adorable blush on Ruby's cheeks suggested she was honestly amused by whatever Yang had to say. Even Blake followed the conversation closely - an open book in her hands but unread for the past few minutes now.

Just looking at them, Weiss couldn't escape this nagging feeling in the back of her mind - a thought she didn't want to entertain...but it grew louder the longer this current round of giggles went on for.

What if Yang was _actually_ funny?

Turning back to her desk, Weiss picked up her pen but wrote nothing. Instead, she stared at the page while her mind raced from the implications of that thought.

It couldn't be. If Yang was actually funny then...everything Weiss knew about humor was wrong. And if everything she knew about humor was wrong...

Now that she thought about it, she didn't know anything about humor. Her father thought other people's misery was funny. Winter hardly knew how to smile, let alone laugh. And Whitley...was a little shit, so there was that.

Maybe that was her first mistake. Maybe she only assumed Yang wasn't funny because she didn't understand Yang's sense of humor. Maybe if she _did_ understand Yang's sense of humor, she would laugh with the rest of them. Even better...maybe _she_ could be the funny one, and Ruby and Blake would laugh at her jokes too.

Setting her pen down and grabbing her scroll, she did what she usually did when she didn't understand something as well as she needed to - she researched. In this case, she needed to know everything there was to know about humor and telling jokes. It couldn't be innate. Therefore, it had to be something she could learn. And she trusted in her ability to learn just about anything.

After spending most of the morning in the library, Weiss returned to the room with a sense of anticipation and excitement. Hours of review had yielded several great pointers that should help her become a funnier person. All she needed to do was _use_ those pointers and see whether or not they paid any dividends, hopefully in the form of Ruby's adorable giggles. A smile from Blake would also be ample reward, but Weiss _really_ wanted those giggles.

So, taking a deep breath, she opened the door to their room and found her teammates exactly where she expected them - lounging on their beds, playing games/reading/reading magazines rather than studying. With none of them in the midst of anything too thought-consuming, this was the perfect situation to try out her new skills.

"Hey guys," she greeted them, taking care to keep a casual tone while setting her bag on the floor near her desk.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby replied from her bed. Weiss had anticipated that Ruby would reply first, which was good - everything was on track. And then Ruby would follow up with a question...

"How was studying?"

Perfect. Just the question Weiss needed. If she wasn't in the midst of trying to be a funnier person, she would've given Ruby a hug.

"It was good," she replied with a slow, measured nod. Yang and Blake were hardly paying attention, but they were probably still listening. At least, she hoped they were listening. "I got a lot of work done," she continued, and paused before her third statement, which she needed to add as flippantly as possible. "Jaune ran into the library door while I was there, but that was -" With a wave of her hand - as if that was no big deal - she turned away.

That's when she heard Yang's huff of amusement.

"He what?"

Maybe this wasn't as difficult as she thought, especially when her teammates replied exactly how she expected.

"He ran into the door," she repeated while turning back to the room. She had everyone's attention now, and felt very much like she was holding a court of sorts. Was this how Yang always felt? "He was chasing Nora out of the room and didn't even see it. He just -" She smacked one hand against her palm to symbolize Jaune hitting the wall, then smiled when she heard Ruby giggle.

It was just as rewarding as she'd imagined.

"Did he really?" Blake asked in her signature dry, disbelieving tone. But she asked a yes or no question, which was perfect. They _expected_ her to say yes, which meant...

"No," Weiss replied before scoffing and rolling her eyes. And then she would flip the tables on them. " _Of course_ he did," she added. "It's Jaune we're talking about."

Yang chuckled lightly, Ruby giggled a few more times, and Blake's lips actually twitched up with a smile.

To anyone who thought humor couldn't be carefully planned out and coordinated in advance, they were wrong - this was working.

"I mean, we've only seen him do that about -" Weiss needed a big number - an unrealistically big number. "A million times," she concluded. This time, Yang laughed while nodding along with the hyperbole.

"That's true," she added with a smile. "I swear, sometimes I think he's actually blind."

When Blake scoffed with laughter at the response and Ruby's giggles amplified, Weiss realized she needed to regain control of the conversation quickly. Otherwise, Yang would take over and have everyone in stitches in no time.

But not today. Today was Weiss' turn to put people in stitches. The good kind - not the bad kind. Although she was certainly capable of putting people in the bad kind of stitches if she wanted to.

"That reminds me," she cut in before Yang could say something else. "Of a butler we had at home -" A personal story - the funniest one she'd been able to think of.

"We were hosting a big party at our house, and he was rushing to the ballroom carrying this huge bowl of spiked punch." She motioned with her arms to show how big the bowl had been - way too big for one person to carry on their own. "He thought someone was holding the door open for him, but they weren't, so he ran right into it and spilled the punch all over himself and the floor."

Thinking back on the moment, which looked like a bloodbath on the floor in Schnee manor, Weiss smiled and shook her head. Now for the finale...

"Guess you could say that party was pretty _dry_."

She chuckled at the joke, finding it intelligent while also witty, but trailed off when she noticed her teammates staring at her rather than giving a reaction. It was supposed to be funny - she thought it was funny - instead, they looked at her like she had three heads.

"Uh..." Yang said, glancing at Ruby as if hoping she would say something.

"Because there was no alcohol at the party?" Weiss elaborated, feeling her control over the situation slip through her grasp. "Because the punch was spiked so no one had anything to drink?"

"Yeah, we got your punch line," Yang replied with a fleeting grin. "But uh...what're you doing?"

Taken aback by the question, Weiss looked at Blake and Ruby before scoffing. "What do you mean 'what am I doing? I was telling a story."

"No.." Blake replied from her bed while giving Weiss a thoughtful gaze. "You were...being Yang."

Yang nodded at the accusation, but Weiss scoffed again. Maybe she was trying to tell jokes like Yang did, but they hadn't even laughed. If they hadn't laughed, then clearly she wasn't 'being Yang' at all. That, or they just didn't think she was funny, no matter what she did.

"Well if I _was_ Yang, you would've laughed," she snapped before turning on her heel and stalking out of the room.

"Wait, Weiss -" she heard from behind her, but she didn't stop while hurrying away from their room.

Stupid jokes. Stupid humor. She didn't understand it, and apparently she never would. Not even if she studied it, which was even more frustrating. How was it that something so inane was also impossible to learn?

"I don't feel like talking, Ruby," she said when she felt Ruby's presence appear by her elbow.

"You don't have to talk - I'll talk!"

Realizing she couldn't get away from Ruby even if she wanted to, she sighed and turned towards her partner. As usual, Ruby had a way of melting through her frustration, which was both annoying and relieving at the same time.

"What is it?"

"You know we think you're funny, right?" Ruby came right out and said, but Weiss scoffed and rolled her eyes. "We do!" Ruby added while reaching out and touching Weiss' elbow. "I actually think you're funnier than Yang, but please don't tell her that."

Weiss shook her head at the notion that she was funnier than Yang - clearly untrue - but Ruby nodded.

"Really, you are! You just have a different sense of humor than she does, which was why it was so weird to see you like...impersonate her."

"I wasn't impersonating her," Weiss grumbled. "I was just..." Thinking about the situation, she tilted her head back and sighed. "I just wanted you and Blake to think I was funny like she is. And to laugh at my jokes like you do for hers."

Admitting that out loud, she felt rather childish. Who so desperately sought laughs and attention like that? She did, apparently. But she cared about what her teammates thought about her...

"Don't you remember last week, which you gave me a side cramp from laughing so much?"

Weiss remembered - that was the moment that started all of this, to begin with, but it had been an accident. When she opened her mouth to say as much, however, Ruby held up a hand to stop her.

"And do you remember the time you made Yang spray water all over the table? Or the time Blake nearly fell off Yang's bed laughing? Any of those ring a bell?"

All of them did, but Weiss didn't want to admit as much. Ruby already knew, of course - she knew Weiss better than anyone by now.

"You're funny, Weiss," she reiterated. "But you pick your moments - you have like, deadly accuracy with your timing. No one expects it, then you swoop in with some epic comment that kills us."

Put that way...Weiss kind of liked how it sounded. Deadly accuracy - she wasn't funny all the time, but she was funny when it counted.

"Do you really think so?" she asked anyway, searching for just a bit more reassurance.

" _Yes_." Ruby reached out for Weiss' hands and smiled. "Seriously, yes. You don't need to be like Yang to be funny. You only need to be you - you're already plenty funny enough."

Weiss couldn't deny that she suddenly felt remarkably better - not when she could see the sincerity in Ruby's eyes and feel it in her words. Maybe she didn't completely understand what made those particular moments so funny or even how to duplicate those effects, but...maybe she should just let it happen naturally.

"Thank you, Ruby," she said with a gentle squeeze of Ruby's hands.

"Feeling better now?" Ruby asked while moving back towards their room, silently prompting Weiss to follow.

"Yes." Glancing over at Ruby, Weiss smiled. "Now I almost feel bad about shutting that door in Jaune's face."

When Ruby immediately dissolved into giggles, Weiss' smile grew and her heart warmed.

Maybe she _was_ a little funny, after all.


	45. Rock 'n Roll - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Ruby's looking for someone to join her band.**

* * *

At least it was a nice day.

That's what Ruby kept telling herself while offering flyers to students passing by, hoping that one of them showed some interest in joining a band. Not just a band though - the coolest and most awesome band to have ever graced Vale University's grungy music rooms.

"Hey, wanna join a band?" she asked the boy walking past. "We need a vocalist!" she added while offering him a flyer. He stopped and looked at the paper, but eventually shook his head and gave a quick "sorry, can't sing" before hurrying off.

About what she expected, but she still tried. Setting the flyer on top of a stack of them, she sat down on the folding table advertising their calling call for auditions and swung her feet through the air.

At least it was a nice day.

"What are you doing?"

As soon as Ruby turned towards the clipped voice, she popped back to her feet and smiled. "Hey, wanna join a band?" Again, she offered one of the flyers, but the girl standing in front of her - with hands on hips - gave it a disdainful look.

"Did you get permission to solicit club members here?" she asked instead.

"Uh…"

"Or permission to put a table out on school grounds?"

"You need permission for that?"

The girl scoffed as if Ruby wasn't being serious. Once she realized that Ruby was, in fact, being serious, she rolled her eyes instead.

"Ah - you're new." Before Ruby decided if that was an insult or not - it sounded like an insult... - the girl shook her head.

"You need permission to hand out flyers, and to put out a table, and basically everything else you want to do around here," she explained. Then she crossed her arms over her chest and gave Ruby a judgmental look. "What club are you in, anyway?"

"I'm not in club." Sensing another opportunity, Ruby re-offered flyer only for the girl to look at it and refuse to uncross her arms. "I'm in a band," Ruby explained, undeterred. "I play guitar! My sister's drums and her girlfriend is bass - and we're having tryouts for a lead singer. So if you wanted to try out..."

"Are you serious?" Before Ruby nodded, the girl let out a derisive laugh. "Who would want to join a college band? We have enough work as it is, and - if you still felt so inclined to play that instrument of yours - we have a marching band, pep band, and multiple jazz bands. Yet you want to form a..." the girl tilted her head to look at the flyer before scoffing again. "A rock band? Are you serious? Who even listens to rock?"

The day was suddenly less nice.

Actually, Ruby was a little annoyed now, because the hot girl with white hair turned out to be less hot and more frigidly cold.

"You know, you could just say you're not interested," Ruby replied, hearing just a bit of her annoyance slip into her tone. "Or you could just walk away. Or keep policing the school grounds. There's no need to be rude about it."

She turned away then - because that was the polite thing to do when you didn't want to talk to someone - but the girl huffed and stomped in front of her.

"I'm not being rude," she said (in a pretty rude voice). "I'm pointing out the obvious flaws in your plan. And why are you hanging out by the pre-law buildings, of all places? If you need a vocalist, why aren't you over by the theater buildings? Or, god forbid, the choir rooms?"

"Thanks for your input! It's greatly appreciated - will take under advisement." After flashing a fake smile at the pretty girl who was a bit like eating lemons to talk to, Ruby caught sight of Blake walking over and waved. "Hey Blake."

"Hey Ruby." Blake glanced at the girl, who still looked annoyed by their presence, before turning back to Ruby. "How's it going?"

"Got a few people interested. Then I had the pleasure of meeting the meanest girl on campus." When Ruby motioned with her head towards the other girl, Blake's brow rose in surprise. The other girl, however, didn't like being called mean. Surprisingly.

"You call it mean, but I call it help," she snapped. "You didn't make the best decisions, and that will impact your results. If you need a singer -"

"Thanks again," Ruby interrupted. Standing right in front of the girl, Ruby smiled waved both hands through the air. "But we don't need your help."

The girl didn't like that either, as evidenced by her huff. And Ruby actually smiled at the reaction, which was a little predictable. And she could play with predictable.

"Aren't you...Weiss Schnee?" Blake cut in then. The name sounded vaguely familiar to Ruby, but it must have been correct, as evidenced by the (slightly adorable but also annoying) hair flip the girl did.

"Yes, I am."

"Who's Weiss Schnee?" Ruby asked, only to be leveled with a glare strong enough to freeze lava.

"I'm Weiss Schnee. I literally just said that."

"Well duh." It was a childish response, but Ruby wouldn't claim she was the most mature person in the world. "But you make it sound like it's a big deal or something."

"Uh...Ruby?" When Ruby turned towards Blake, Blake shook her head. "Her family owns about half of Vale."

Suddenly, the hot girl, who was apparently super rich, looked pretty damn pleased with herself. And Ruby couldn't let her win like that. Being rich wasn't an excuse to be rude.

"Huh..." After briefly considering the name, which she absolutely remembered now that she thought about it, Ruby shrugged. "Never heard of it."

The expression on Weiss' face was priceless.

"You've never heard of it?" She shot a look at Blake, as if searching for commiseration, before scoffing at Ruby. "Schnee Industries is the backbone of Vale's economy. The name is on the tallest building downtown. It's giant - you literally couldn't miss it unless you were the most unobservant person in existence."

"Guess that's me!" Ruby replied with a smile. She'd gotten under Weiss' skin now, and that felt pretty good.

"We run advertisements on TV, radio, billboards, online, newspaper - you would have to live under a rock to not notice those."

"I mean...campus housing is pretty bad..." Ruby smiled at Blake with the response, who scoffed in agreement. Hearing yet another scoff, however, she decided to end the conversation on her terms, with what one might call the solos of all solos. A death jam of epic proportions.

"Hey, listen," she said while turning back to Weiss. "I think we're going to decline your interest in joining our band. Because it sounds like you can only sing your own praises."

For the briefest moment, a look of surprise flashed through those icy-blue eyes. The emotion disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared, however - replaced yet again by that haughty attitude.

"You think I can't sing?"

"You could have the voice of an angel," Ruby replied, taking a step forward so Weiss had to look up to meet her eyes. "But your version of beauty comes with a lot of crazy attached."

"If that's the case, you must be certifiable."

From the way Weiss glowered and refused to budge an inch, Ruby thought it was an insult. It sounded like an insult. It came across like an insult. Yet...

"Did you just call me pretty?"

"Of course not." As soon as Weiss stepped away, Ruby's eyes widened. The soft blush on Weiss' cheeks only gave her feelings away, and suddenly...this was much more interesting.

"Oh, I get it," Ruby replied with a growing smile. "That's why you won't leave."

"I won't leave because you're infuriating and breaking school rules."

"You won't leave because you think I'm attractive," Ruby restated. Although she shouldn't have restated it, because that only made her blush. But she couldn't lose this upper-hand so quickly! Not by getting all bubbly over an attractive girl finding her attractive. She had to power through and...still be snarky.

"We're holding auditions Friday night," she added. Again, she held out one of the flyers. Again, Weiss glared at it, but Ruby didn't pull it away. She was going to win this...whatever this was.

"You know, I'm pretty sure lead guitar and vocals usually get together, right Blake?" Ruby glanced over her shoulder at Blake, who looked abundantly amused by the situation while shrugging.

"So if you think about it..." Pausing for dramatic effect, Ruby leaned closer and was pleasantly surprised when Weiss didn't move away. It meant Ruby got a nice inhale of her perfume before delivering that last blow. "We're really auditioning for my future partner."

When Ruby pulled away, she winked - and Yang had taught her how to wink, so she knew she was good at it too. That was confirmed as true when she spotted yet another blush on Weiss' cheeks.

"And if you really think about it," she added when she thought of something even better. "This could actually be like, our first date."

She found the idea particularly amusing - even more so when Weiss snatched the flyer from her hand and turned it around to read it.

"'The Remnants?'" she read aloud before scoffing. "That's a horrible name."

"Thanks," Ruby replied with another smile. "Came up with it myself."

"Of course you did. I wouldn't expect anything more from you."

And Ruby laughed at the insult. She didn't even know if it was supposed to sting anymore, because it really didn't. It was just funny. Even Weiss seemed to think so, as evidenced by the tiny, begrudging smile that lifted the corner of her lips.

"Fine," she suddenly said. Folding the flyer up, she stuck it in her bag and flashed what could almost be a real smile. "I'll see you Friday night - don't be late." When she turned to leave - flipping her hair over her shoulder in the process - Ruby's jaw dropped in surprise.

"How could I be late to my own event?" she sputtered.

"I'm sure you'll find a way," Weiss threw over her shoulder without pause.

"Well am I supposed to bring you flowers or something?" Ruby called after her, but Weiss just waved over her shoulder and headed into the nearest building. "Pain in the ass..." Ruby grumbled at the girl's departure, but she couldn't stop smiling. What started as a horrible conversation had actually ended up being really fun. How was that possible?

"Were you two just...flirting?"

When Ruby turned towards Blake, who looked both surprised and entertained by what just happened, she shook her head. But she couldn't stop smiling, so...

"Should I bring her flowers?" she asked, suddenly realizing she had no idea what Weiss expected from her next. She mentioned the flowers thing as a joke, but what if Weiss took it seriously? Then maybe Ruby shouldn't bring flowers, just to piss her off?

Blake, however, chuckled and sat on the folding table - their unsanctioned folding table - and picked up a stack of their flyers - their unsanctioned flyers.

"What're you going to do if she can actually sing?"

Ruby's eyes widened at the thought, which hadn't even occurred to her. She'd enjoyed the catty banter so much, but what if Weiss actually had the voice of an angel? What if she got up on stage and had the most beautiful voice Ruby had ever heard?

"Then I might be in trouble," she admitted, but she still couldn't stop smiling. Why would she stop smiling? Today was a fantastic day.

And Friday might be even better.


	46. Small Problems - WR

**Pairing: White Rose**  
 **Summary: Weiss' life is filled with problems, some easier to manage than others**

* * *

"There's just a small problem with the last shipment…"

In Weiss' experience, there were no 'small' problems when it came to her job. There were big problems, and there were monstrous problems - nothing less.

"What is it?" she asked regardless, even though she already knew she wouldn't enjoy the answer.

"We...lost it."

The man standing in front of her, whose name she would conveniently forget so she couldn't fire him, cringed and waited to be berated or reprimanded for the monumental mistake. Fortunately for him, she wasn't in the mood for that today, or any day, really. What she was in the mood for - as usual - was solving his problem before it truly became hers.

"Let me see." She gestured for the report in his hands and skimmed the page as soon as he handed it over.

"It's probably still in Vacuo," she surmised before shoving the report back into his hands, grabbing her bag off her desk, and standing up to leave. "You're missing an exit request to the port."

Jaw dropped, he gave the report one last glance before staring after her in surprise. If she were to guess, he was in disbelief that he just admitted such a colossal error right to her face, only for her to figure it out in a few seconds.

But that was her job and, as annoying as it could sometimes be, she was damn good at it.

"Ma'am!" someone called out as she pushed the button to summon the elevator. She sighed at yet another issue keeping her from home but turned towards the young man hurrying over.

"What is it?"

"The uh - thing -" he stammered out before pointing in the general direction of the manufacturing center, and Weiss quickly caught on.

"Don't tell me you broke it already…"

"Um, well…"

Stepping into the elevator, she shook her head and pressed the button for the parking garage. "Call and get a tech out here as soon as possible. In the meantime, reconfigure the line to skip that section - leave it sit until the tech looks at it. Got it?"

The door closed on his hasty nod, and she sighed again while the elevator ferried her down to the garage. Once there, she got into her car, took a deep breath, and headed home.

Her day should have ended an hour ago, but she got caught up putting out fires. She didn't mind solving problems - she was pretty good at it, really - but the ineptitude of her employees sometimes got to her. Whenever she reached the point where she considered calling it quits for good, she knew it was time to go home and reset. Besides, Ruby was already waiting, and Weiss hated making her wait.

Before the office disappeared from the rearview mirror, she pressed a button on the center console and gripped the steering wheel when the sound of ringing filled the air. The call picked up almost immediately.

"Weiss!"

Ruby's voice made her smile and completely forget the latest fire brought into her office.

"Hi Ruby," she replied before sighing out the stress of the day. "Just wanted you to know I'll be home soon."

"Awesome! I'm working on a surprise for you, so...prepare to be surprised!"

Weiss raised her brow at the response.

"Can I have a hint?" she asked, only for her smile to grow when Ruby giggled.

"It will make you love me even more!"

"Not possible," Weiss said while navigating towards the neighborhood where she and Ruby lived. "I already love you as much as anyone can possibly love another."

"That's what you think," Ruby replied, making Weiss chuckle and shake her head. "But I gotta finish a few things - I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok. Love you."

"Love you too!"

The call disconnected then, but Weiss' smile remained as she headed home. Rather than dwell on work, she tried to guess the surprise Ruby had in store. Sometimes, Ruby's surprises were...exceptionally surprising. Sometimes they were exceptionally romantic. But they were always sweet and thoughtful.

It was as if Ruby knew the day was hectic without Weiss saying anything. And she found it difficult to care about a lost shipment of merchandise when she had a surprise and a beautiful wife waiting at home for her.

By the time she pulled into the driveway, she was more than ready to figure what Ruby had in store. Her footsteps quickened across the lawn and up to the front door, but she always found herself in a rush to get inside once she was here. More than anything, she couldn't wait to see Ruby again.

After unlocking the door and walking into the entryway, she sniffed the air and smiled when she figured out what the surprise was - dinner.

"Ruby?" she called out before leaving her bag by the door and walking into the kitchen. There, she found the perfect sight for sore eyes, and felt her smile and good spirits return.

No matter what was going on, Ruby had a calming effect on her that still worked all these years later.

"Weiss!" After quickly drying her hands on a hand towel, Ruby skipped over and kissed Weiss' cheek. "Welcome home," she added before waving towards her masterpiece. "Since you had to work late, I'm making dinner - my specialty!"

Ruby's specialty was the incredibly complicated meal of...spaghetti and meatballs.

Actually, Ruby's specialty was making Weiss happy, which was exactly what the considerate gesture accomplished.

"You didn't have to do that…" Weiss replied before gently taking Ruby's hand and kissing her once on the lips.

"I know, but I wanted to." With a big smile, Ruby led Weiss over to the stools by the island and motioned for her to sit. "And I'm doing the dishes!" she added while motioning towards the dishwasher, which was currently humming along. A pot of boiling water held the noodles, a saucepan held the homemade spaghetti sauce, and it smelled like there was garlic bread in the oven.

"Pretty sure you're too good for me," Weiss joked, and Ruby giggled as she went back to tending the food.

"I just wanted to do something nice for you." Pulling a noodle out of the water and biting off the end, she nodded and turned off the burner. "You have to deal with messes at work all day long...the least I can do is make dinner."

Weiss had thousands of reasons why she married Ruby (literally thousands - she'd made a list during her nearly nonexistent debate as to whether or not they should get together), and this was one of them. Not only was Ruby the sweetest person Weiss had ever met, but she was also so incredibly thoughtful and somehow knew exactly what to say or do to turn a crappy day around.

"Ok," Weiss admitted when her heart grow with fondness. "You might be making me love you more."

"Told you!" After flashing an unabashed grin, Ruby drained the noodles in the sink and returned the empty pot to the stove. "Pretty sure we haven't reached maximum love yet."

"Something to look forward to," Weiss mused while watching Ruby move around the kitchen.

If anyone wanted to know why Weiss liked being at home so much, it was this - the comfort of being with the person she loved more than anything in the world, and freedom to let go every once in a while. The problems here were her and Ruby's - and they felt much different from the problems at work.

Noticing a slightly different smell in the air, Weiss sniffed and searched for the source.

"What's that smell?" she asked at the same time, and Ruby furrowed her brow before turning to the side and squealing.

"It's nothing!" Racing across the room, Ruby hastily pressed buttons on the dishwasher, which had soap suds growing out of every crack. "Don't worry," she added before scooping an armful of suds into the sink - and more kept coming, even faster now. "Got this totally under control. And I'll clean it up, so you just sit there!"

The amount of soap suds was quite large now, and Weiss seriously wondered if it would stop growing or if their entire kitchen would be overtaken by white foam. But Ruby got the dishwasher turned off, which seemed to help…

Except now there was another smell. This one worse than the first. Almost like something was burning…

"The bread!" Ruby yelped at the moment Weiss pinpointed the smell. Grabbing an oven mitt and racing over to the oven, Ruby opened the door only for dark, acrid smoke to billow out. "Ok, that's done," she said, pulling out the baking tray holding several charred pieces of bread and dumping it into the sink.

"Open the -"

"Got it!" Once the tray was out of her hands, Ruby reached over and pushed open the kitchen window to help the smoke dissipate.

And a pigeon flew right through the open window.

Ruby shrieked and raised her hands as the bird flapped its wings in her face trying to get away. Briefly unable to see where she was going, her elbow knocked over the flour jar and sent a trail of flour right into the flame heating the spaghetti sauce. The flour immediately caught fire, which quickly spread to the hand towel left on the countertop.

Sensing that now might be the time to intervene, Weiss jumped up, grabbed the fire extinguisher from beside the stove, and quickly put out the fire. Next, she grabbed their uncharred hand towel and waved it towards the bird still flying around the kitchen. After several minutes of shooing him around the room, she managed to coax him outside and quickly shut the window behind him.

As soon as that was done, she spun around and searched for any other fires that needed putting out - literal fires this time. When she didn't find any, she looked at Ruby and, upon seeing Ruby's dismayed expression, laughed.

Ruby quickly joined in - first with a hesitant chuckle before breaking into uncontrollable giggles at what just happened.

"I'm so sorry!" she added in the midst of her laughter, but Weiss shook her head at the apology. It took a few more seconds before she gathered herself enough to reply but, once she did, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

"It's ok." Looking at the mess on their countertop and still spilling out from their dishwasher, she huffed in amusement. "It's ok," she repeated before giving Ruby a kiss. "That took quite a bit of skill."

"I've been practicing," Ruby replied before motioning towards the window. "I even trained the pigeon."

When Weiss laughed this time, she felt the entirety of her stress melt away. Even though the amount of cleanup they had to do should be frustrating, she didn't see it that way at all. It was trivial, actually. With the two of them working together, it was nothing more than a small problem.

Their kitchen could catch fire, their dishwasher could explode, they could be attacked by pigeons, and it hardly bothered her at all.

That's how she knew Ruby was the one.

"I'm surprised you didn't get the fire alarms to go off too," she joked while grabbing a roll of paper towels to clean up the soap suds growing out of the dishwasher.

"Next time," Ruby replied with a grin, and Weiss smiled.

"You know what...I do love you more."


	47. The Weiss Hug - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Ruby's in need of a hug, but not just any hug.**

* * *

Ruby was on a mission.

And no, it wasn't defeating Salem or saving the world.

Well, technically she was on that mission too, but she had _another_ mission. And, while it might not save the world, it was still important. To her, at least. It was very important to her, and grew more important with every minute they spent waiting for the inevitable to happen.

It was simple - she just wanted to spend _three_ minutes with Weiss. Was that really too much to ask? Three minutes for them to sit down and maybe have a nice talk about life outside of this mess they found themselves in. And to ask Weiss how she felt now that they were in Atlas, and do all the good things good partners should do.

And maybe a hug. A hug would be nice, too.

Instead, Ruby kept being dragged into meetings and repeatedly told how important this was and how the world rested on her shoulders and how failure meant the end of life as they knew it. The first few weren't so bad - they made her feel determined and important - but after that...Ironwood kept harping on the same things, which only kept her away from her team.

The end result was that she didn't have her partner around while everyone pointed out that - no big deal - but if she messed up, everyone kind of died.

She wanted a hug. Not just any hug - a Weiss hug.

And maybe some food. Food would be nice, too. How was she supposed to save the world on an empty stomach?

But she had a plan. She really shouldn't be the one to come up with plans - that was Weiss' job - but desperate times called for desperate measures. First, she would utilize the only foolproof, question-proof excuse in existence.

Actually, first she would summon the courage to interrupt Ironwood, because he was a little intimidating when he ranted on and on like he was now. But if she waited for him to pause and take a breath...

"Uh...hold that thought," she interjected as soon as she had the chance. Without wasting a second, she got up and backed towards the door. "I really need to use the bathroom."

Ironwood frowned but nodded for her to go. Her uncle, meanwhile, turned and gave her a more amused look.

"Didn't you just go like fifteen minutes ago?"

Internally, Ruby cringed at the reminder of how well this plan worked last time. But that was last time, and this was this time. This time would work.

"Yeah, but I drank a lot of water right before this." While they watched her closely, she backed towards the door until her hand grasped the handle. "Be right back!"

Before they argued - or worse, told her she couldn't leave - she threw open the door and raced out of the room. She didn't have to use the bathroom - that was a lie. But she needed a way out of there. Now that she was free of their adult clutches, she could find Weiss, and maybe get that hug. The only question was...where was Weiss?

Knowing she didn't have much time, she used her semblance to aid in her search through the giant house serving as their hiding spot and homebase. But Weiss wasn't in the room they were sharing, or the dining room or kitchen or living room. That left outside.

As soon as Ruby threw open the front door and raced onto the patio, she was met by a burst of cold, Atlas air. That didn't bother her in the slightest though, because she found Weiss - and Blake and Yang - but also Weiss. Mission somewhat successful.

"Hey guys!" she called out while bouncing over to her teammates. After briefly wondering whether or not she could hug Weiss right now, she convinced herself out of it. As much as _she_ needed a hug, Weiss didn't know that. Neither did Yang or Blake, so it would just look awkward.

"What's up?" she asked instead.

"Just hanging out," Yang said, glancing at Blake before focusing Ruby.

"Is the meeting over already?" Weiss added. As usual, she seemed to know or sense that something was up. That explained her slightly furrowed brow and the way her clear, blue eyes trained on Ruby so intently.

"We're taking a break," Ruby fudged. "Just wanted to say hi."

"Well, hi." Yang added a grin and wave with the response, and Blake gave a small smile. And Weiss...Weiss studied Ruby for a few more seconds before smiling too.

It was no Weiss hug, but Ruby would take that smile straight to the bank.

"Ironwood talks a lot," she added before they lapsed into silence. "And he's always so...serious."

"Sounds like him…" Blake mumbled while Yang nodded. "Learned anything new?"

"I wish. Just the same old 'saving the world' stuff…"

Ruby didn't mind saving the world. If that's what she was supposed to do, that's what she would do. But sometimes it felt a little...too much for her to handle.

"Do you want me to go back with you?" Weiss offered, and - even though the honest answer was a big _yes_ \- Ruby couldn't put Weiss through that. As much as she wanted the company, she didn't want Weiss to have to listen to the same lectures and suffer the same pressure.

"Naw, it's ok." Ruby waved off the offer while looking around the patio, which looked loads more fun than sitting in the stuffy room. "They should be done talking soon, I think."

"Ruby."

At the sound of her name, she turned and found Uncle Qrow motioning her back inside. Stifling a sigh, she looked once more towards her team before she had to leave.

"Guess I should go...see you later though?"

The question was meant mostly for Weiss, but Yang and Blake replied with nods. Weiss eventually nodded too, although she kept that thoughtful gaze trained on Ruby, as if trying to read Ruby's mind. When she didn't say anything, however, Ruby turned and followed her uncle inside.

"Getting bored, kid?" he asked as they walked, so she forced a smile rather than dwell on her wish to stay outside with Weiss.

"Of course not!" she said before falling silent and trudging after him to hear more of Ironwood's lecture.

That hadn't exactly been the resounding success she'd hoped for, but it was better than last time. At least she got to talk to Weiss for a little bit! Sure, not alone. And sure, she didn't get a hug - she didn't even get any food - but it was better than nothing at this point.

Except now she _actually_ needed to use the restroom…

* * *

"Poor Ruby..." Blake mused as silence returned to the patio.

"She'll survive - she's tough."

Blake hummed her agreement with Yang's statement before falling silent, but Weiss said nothing while staring at the door Ruby had just disappeared through.

They'd spent so much time together recently, yet somehow it felt like nothing. That was probably because they were always surrounded by other people. If it wasn't Blake and Yang, it was Oscar or Ironwood or the perpetually drunk uncle.

So they _were_ spending time together, but it also felt like they were being kept apart. These meetings were especially bad, as the two of them were physically separated for long stretches of time. Weiss wouldn't mind sitting through the meetings with Ruby. She wanted to know what Ironwood had to say, but she also wanted to be there to act as a support for Ruby.

Ruby had grown up - that was for sure - but she was still young. Yet everyone seemed content to treat her like an adult. Actually, they were treating her like _more_ than an adult, because Weiss had never met an adult who suddenly found the fate of the world on their shoulders and handled it as well as Ruby.

That didn't change the fact that...well, it sounded stubborn, but they were partners, which meant Weiss felt somewhat entitled to Ruby's time. And she wanted Ruby's time without the constant presence of others. She wanted to have a private conversation for three _tiny_ minutes and make sure Ruby was doing ok.

Which meant that she needed to pry Ruby away from the adults.

Ordinarily, such an endeavor would take some time and careful planning to avoid coming off as impolite or overstepping her boundaries. At the moment, however, she didn't care very much what anyone else thought about her.

"I need to go talk to someone," she directed towards Yang and Blake before walking inside. She knew they would ask who she needed to talk to, but that answer should be obvious - she needed to talk to Ruby. Fortunately, she knew exactly where Ruby was.

How Ironwood still found words to say went beyond her, but he'd monopolized Ruby's time in the same meeting room for the past few days. Enough was enough. What he didn't understand was that Ruby would and _could_ do anything he asked of her, but he didn't need to ask until he was blue in the face. Ruby understood her position, and she would put her life on the line in order to help. But...even heroes needed a break sometimes.

Pausing outside the door, Weiss took a deep breath to calm herself. Once done, she summoned all of the confidence and self-assuredness she possessed and strode through the door as if she owned the entire house.

"Excuse me," she interrupted while walking straight to Ruby's side and taking her by the hand. "I need to borrow Ruby for a few minutes. I'll bring her right back."

Whether confused or caught off guard by her abrupt entrance, the only response Ironwood and Qrow gave were stares as Weiss pulled Ruby out of the room and down the hall. Knowing that they could be easily found in any of the downstairs common areas, she led Ruby upstairs instead. There, she found an unused bedroom that should be a good hiding spot for a few minutes.

After releasing Ruby's hand and shutting the door, she realized that now she needed to explain herself.

"Sorry," she said while turning around, only to take a step back in surprise when Ruby threw her arms around her neck for a hug. The surprise quickly wore off, however, and she sighed while wrapping her arms around Ruby in return.

"Sorry it took me so long..."

"Better late than never..." Ruby muttered into her shoulder. And, rather than let go - because she really didn't want to let go - Weiss leaned further into the embrace.

"How are you holding up?" she asked even though the hug was pretty telling in itself.

"Ok...how are you?"

Ruby tried to pull away then, but Weiss tightened her grip and didn't let Ruby end the hug too soon. They still had at least three minutes of this before it would feel like remotely enough.

"It's...fine." When her thoughts touched upon some of her recent memories of home, she sighed and burrowed her face in Ruby's neck. "Better now."

As long as she and Ruby were together, she felt capable of anything. No matter where they were, no matter who they were up against, they would make it through just fine.

As long as they were together - which hadn't been the case over the past few days. They were staying in the same house, but that wasn't the same as being by each other's side. That wasn't the same as being near enough to support each other for this next chapter of their story.

They weren't supposed to be apart...Weiss could feel that now. With Ruby's arms wrapped around her neck, and their bodies pressed so close together, she knew that _this_ was how they were supposed to be. Inseparable. Supporting each other. Relying on each other. Through something as simple as a hug.

Something as simple, and wonderful, and enjoyable, as a long overdue hug.

When Weiss sighed and rubbed her hand up and down Ruby's back, Ruby finally pulled away and flashed a more normal smile.

"Ok, I think I'm better now. What about you?"

"I feel...much better." At the onset, Weiss hadn't thought she was particularly morose. After sharing that hug with Ruby, however, she felt...uplifted and restored.

"Good. Then...think we can make it to dinner?"

"Pretty sure we can." When Ruby nodded and moved towards the door, however, Weiss caught her hand to slow her down. "But we're making it to dinner together."

Without argument, Ruby smiled, and the two of them walked downstairs hand-in-hand. It went unspoken that Weiss wouldn't leave Ruby's side, just like it went unspoken that Ruby wanted her to be there. No matter what their lives held next, they would be there to support each other - even if that meant sitting through Ironwood's lectures together.

Honestly, the closer they were, the better Weiss felt. So, she would make it her mission to stay by Ruby's side as much as possible from here on out.

And they should hug more. They should definitely hug more.


	48. Soulmates in the Making - WR

**Pairing: White Rose**

 **Summary: Weiss meets Penny for the first time**

* * *

"I'm gonna grab a smoothie - you want something?"

From the sparkle in Ruby's eyes - brought about by the mere thought of imminent food - she was serious about ordering something to eat right now. And that was enough for Weiss to give a small scoff of disbelief.

"We're leaving for breakfast in ten minutes," she pointed out.

"I know! But it's a smoothie! It's not _actually_ food."

To plenty of people, a smoothie was _actually_ food, and actually pretty filling. Understanding the way Ruby's hunger operated, however, Weiss smiled and shook her head. "No, thank you," she replied, and watched with that smile still in place as Ruby hurried over to the counter to place her order.

"She must've done something cute again."

Weiss immediately dropped the smile when Blake and Yang took the seats across from her. Yang, as usual, didn't pass up the opportunity to point out the obvious. Blake, as usual, tried and failed to hide her amusement at Yang's ability to point out the obvious.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Weiss huffed as she turned away from Ruby and willed her cheeks not to flush.

Since her and Ruby's relationship was still relatively new, she hadn't yet grown accustomed to Yang and Blake's near-constant presence and participation in her life. She didn't dislike it, but it was...different, and something she would need to get used to.

"Today's the big day, right?" Yang asked while wrapping her arms around Blake's waist. "Penny's back in town?"

"Yes." The mere name reminded Weiss of the nerves she'd sworn to conquer this morning. "We're meeting her for breakfast in a few minutes."

"Then...why is Ruby ordering right now?" Blake asked with a nod towards the counter, but Yang chuckled and nuzzled into Blake's neck.

"It's her pre-breakfast breakfast!"

Weiss nodded at the term, which was surprisingly apt for Ruby's eating schedule. The girl ate more meals per day than anyone she'd ever met, yet somehow maintained a slim, gorgeous form. It must be all the running she did...

"Are you excited to meet Penny?" Yang followed up with, and Weiss stifled her desire to sigh. If she was going to be calm and collected about the upcoming meeting, she needed to not think about it. And she couldn't not think about it if Yang insisted on bringing it up.

"It will be nice to finally meet her," she replied, but felt a spike of nerves when Yang laughed.

"Penny's awesome - you'll love her. Plus, her and Ruby get along _so_ well. They're practically soulmates." When Weiss immediately frowned at the term, Blake nudged Yang's side. "I mean, not _that_ type of soulmate. More like, the friend kind, you know? Although Dad and I always thought they'd get together...oh, hey Ruby! Good morning!"

"Good morning!" Content now that she had her smoothie, Ruby waved to Blake and Yang before smiling at Weiss. "Ready to go?"

The last thing Weiss would call herself was ready, especially after what Yang just said, but she nodded and stood up.

"Say 'hi' to Penny for me!" Yang called after them, as Ruby took Weiss by the hand and led them out of their usual morning meeting place.

"I'm so excited," Ruby remarked as they headed towards a nicer breakfast spot just off of campus. From the hop in her step and sparkle in her eyes, Weiss could tell that she _was_ very excited. Even more so than usual, which was really saying something.

Weiss found it incredibly sweet that Ruby was so excited to see her childhood friend again, but that was before Yang's 'soulmates' comment. Soulmates didn't exist. At least, that was Weiss' stance on the matter.

But...certain people were more compatible than others. What if Penny was more compatible with Ruby than Weiss was?

"Don't worry," Ruby said as they crossed the street. "She'll love you!"

"I hope so…" Weiss muttered while holding Ruby's hand a little tighter and praying that this went alright. She didn't know why it made her so nervous to meet a stranger - she often didn't care about meeting strangers at all - but she knew that Penny was important to Ruby, which meant that her opinion mattered. And what would Ruby's 'soulmate' think about someone like Weiss?

"Oh! There she is!"

The moment Ruby dropped Weiss' hand, her heart jumped into her throat as the inevitable decline began.

But Ruby didn't race away from her to give Penny a hug. Instead, she merely waved to get Penny's attention.

"Penny!" she called out while they walked towards the girl occupying a table by herself on the patio of the restaurant. The girl turned and broke into a big smile when she saw Ruby, and stood to accept the hug Ruby gave her as soon as they were close enough.

With an orange bob, brilliant eyes, and tall stature, Penny was...pretty - something Weiss begrudgingly accepted while the hug extended a little longer than she felt was necessary. Eventually, the two girls separated with nearly matching smiles.

"This is Weiss!" Ruby immediately added with a gentle touch of Weiss' shoulder, which turned Penny's attention Weiss' way.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Weiss!" Penny said with that big smile in place. Before Weiss could decide whether a nod or handshake was more appropriate in this situation, Penny hugged her just the same as she'd hugged Ruby.

"Uh, nice to meet you too."

By the time Penny pulled away, Weiss was frazzled. And she didn't like being frazzled. It threw off her ability to come up with quick-witted remarks or interesting conversation.

Penny, however, looked nonplussed by the introduction.

"Ruby's told me so much about you!"

"Oh...yeah..." When Weiss looked Ruby's way, Ruby gave an embarrassed smile. "She got to hear _all_ about my, uh, worries."

'Worries' sounded bad, and Weiss would have asked what they were if this was the time or the place. But, rather than pull at that thread, she attempted a smile and sat down when Penny gestured for them to join her.

"You didn't have problems finding it, did you?" Ruby asked while Weiss flipped open the extensive menu and looked at the options.

"Not at all. And I already ordered your favorite! We just need to know what Weiss would like to eat."

The way Penny smiled implied that she thought nothing of the gesture, but Weiss looked at the menu and furrowed her brow. Something about it bothered her, and it might have to do with her inability to decide what on this menu Ruby liked most. There were pancakes, waffles, French toast - all of them would be appropriate depending on Ruby's mood.

"I'll have the same as Ruby," she answered while closing the menu and putting it aside. She had no idea what Ruby's order was, but she wasn't going to let anyone know that.

"That's great!" Penny replied with a smile. "I can let the waiter know."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked after a quick glance at Penny. "It's a lot of food..."

"I'm sure." Before Ruby asked why Weiss wanted what was surely a mountain of breakfast, she cleared her throat and focused on Penny. "You haven't been waiting here long, have you?"

"Only a few minutes. I was a bit late to being early."

Ruby giggled at the comment, which simultaneously made Weiss smile and feel...off. She _also_ would have been early, but Ruby insisted that they stop by their 'usual joint' first...

"Ruby says you're a pre-law major!" Penny said to continue the flow of conversation. "You must be very smart."

"I've done well academically." Weiss didn't want to boast too much, but she also didn't want Penny to think she was an academic slouch - because she wasn't. "I'm currently at the top of my class, but it's been quite the competition."

When Penny looked vaguely impressed - or at least, still excited - by the response, Weiss felt a small thread of vindication.

"What about you?" she asked in return. "Ruby mentioned that you're studying something...math related."

"Quantum mechanics!"

" _That's_ what it was." Ruby snapped her fingers and laughed at her inability to remember her friend's field of study. "I just know it's _super_ hard."

"It's not difficult if you know what you're doing," Penny replied with a smile. "One of my professors let me teach his class the other day!"

"No way! That's so cool!"

While Ruby gushed over the news, Weiss tried not to frown.

 _Quantum mechanics?_ Honestly, she had no idea what that major even entailed. It sounded exceptionally difficult though, regardless of how Penny explained it.

It certainly sounded more difficult than pre-law.

"You're such a genius," Ruby added with another adorable laugh, but Weiss found it difficult to focus on Ruby's cuteness while regarding Penny in a new light.

Ruby always commented on how much she liked Weiss' intelligence, and Penny was theoretically _smarter_...

"Do you have any plans for break this year?" Penny asked after Ruby stopped fawning over how smart she was. She made direct eye contact with Weiss after the question, which implied she was asking Weiss specifically.

Unfortunately, Weiss couldn't answer that question without giving away the trip she'd been planning but hadn't officially invited Ruby on yet.

"Nothing yet," she replied while sneaking a glance at Ruby. Fortunately, Ruby jumped into the conversation to keep it going.

"Last break, Weiss and I went to Vacuo! We stayed at this super swanky hotel where everyone did everything for you. I didn't even have to carry my own drinks!" When Ruby sat back and smiled at the memory, a wave of relief roll through Weiss.

Maybe she wasn't the smartest person at this table, but she was plenty capable of arranging the perfect vacation for Ruby.

"Oh let me know next time you're there!" Penny replied with a smile. "My father just bought one of the islands nearby, and I'd love for you to visit!"

"That's awesome!" When Ruby turned to Weiss, it was with an even bigger smile. "Isn't that awesome? We could visit a private island!"

"Of course, Ruby," Weiss replied before turning back to Penny with a _small_ amount of disbelief. "He bought the _entire_ island?"

"Her family's like... _super_ loaded," Ruby whispered while Penny nodded.

Weiss clenched her jaw and forced a smile at the comment, but she felt worse and worse about this meeting the longer it went.

If she named the reasons why she and Ruby should be together, she wouldn't have many. She was difficult to get along with, high maintenance, snappy, and sometimes arrogant. The _only_ things she could point out were her intelligence and her family's wealth, which would allow her to provide a wonderful life for Ruby.

Penny was smarter and wealthier, with a better personality that more closely matched Ruby's.

"Have you seen the new show on engineers?" Penny asked then, and Ruby emphatically nodded.

"It's so cool!" She looked at Weiss and smiled. "Weiss won't watch it with me though - said it looked boring."

"But it's so informative!"

"That's what I said!" Ruby replied, her expression light and happy as they landed on a subject she clearly wanted to talk about. "Did you see the one where they made a car that could drive underwater?"

"I convinced my father to let me build one for myself."

"No way! Really? Can I help?"

And...of course they watched the same television shows and had the same hobbies. Why would Weiss expect anything else?

"Can you excuse me for a minute?" she asked softly, but hardly caught Ruby's nod before standing and walking away from the table.

Searching for a quiet place to sort out her thoughts, she headed towards the bathroom in the restaurant but stopped short of walking inside. Instead, she leaned against the wall in the small waiting area and sighed.

Yang was right. If soulmates existed, _that's_ what it would look like.

What was most disappointing was that she really liked Ruby, and she thought Ruby really liked her too. They got along really well, despite their differences, and it felt like they grew closer with every minute they spent together.

Why would Ruby date Weiss when she already had the perfect girl ready to wait on her hand and foot? Why waste her time with someone so...pedestrian...when she clearly had better options?

Sighing again, Weiss pulled out her phone and looked at the background Ruby had set for her. The picture was of the two of them on one of their first dates, when she was just beginning to realize what it meant to really like someone. Her smile probably never felt so effortless, and Ruby...Ruby also looked exceptionally, _genuinely_ happy.

Putting her phone away, Weiss vowed not to give up. She still had a chance. She could study harder and make more money. She could learn all of Ruby's favorite things. She could be more agreeable and treat Ruby like the absolute joy she was. She could do that, and she _would_ do that.

If anything, she should look at this meeting as a fortunate occurrence. Penny was highlighting her areas of weakness, which she could now tackle with 100% of her ability. Plus, she had the advantage - she was still Ruby's girlfriend. She had time to make changes, and they could become even more compatible than they already were.

Newly determined, she stepped away from the wall and nearly crashed into Ruby when she careened around the corner.

"Woah! Sorry, I didn't see you there!"

"It's ok," Weiss replied, and felt her heart stutter when Ruby's hand casually settled near her elbow. "What are you rushing around for?"

"I was looking for you! And now I found you." The words were enough to make Weiss smile, and the kiss Ruby pressed to her cheek only lifted her heart further.

"Did you abandon breakfast?" she asked, but Ruby shook her head.

"Penny got a call from her dad, and I missed you."

For the life of her, Weiss didn't understand how Ruby so effortlessly made her feel like the most treasured person in the world. But right now, she didn't care how Ruby did it. All she cared about was that it reassured her in a way she needed more than her class ranking or family's bank account.

"And, uh, I wanted to say thanks for coming with me," Ruby added with a smile. "It's so much fun to spend time with you _and_ Penny. It's like...my two favorite people in the same place at once!" Weiss was prepared to accept being lumped together with Penny, but then Ruby reached out and squeezed her hand. "But you're my _absolute_ favorite."

"Am I?" Weiss asked, and silently rejoiced when Ruby laced their fingers together.

"Of course! That's why we're, uh, you know - together."

"Ruby..." Weiss felt a blush coming on but did her best to ignore it. "You can call me your girlfriend, you know."

"Right. Um, that's why you're my, uh, girlfriend. You know, because...you're amazing."

No one had ever made Weiss feel like Ruby did, and she doubted that anyone else ever could. That's what made Ruby so incredibly special, and made her worth fighting for.

"I could say the same about you," Weiss replied before leaning forward and giving Ruby a quick kiss on the lips. When she backed away and saw the silly grin on Ruby's lips, she laughed and pulled Ruby towards the front of the restaurant.

"Now come on, we shouldn't leave her waiting for us."

By the time they sat back down at the table, Weiss was all smiles. Not only had Ruby made her feel exceptionally better with just a few short sentences, but she now felt more assured than ever that she _could_ be Ruby's soulmate.

"Sorry, Penny!" Ruby apologized, but Penny didn't look at all affronted by their absence. Instead, she looked between the two of them and smiled.

"You're so cute together," she commented before meeting Weiss' gaze. "I'm really glad Ruby found someone as fantastic as you!"

Taken aback by the remark, Weiss managed a quiet "thank you" while sneaking a look at Ruby out of the corner of her eye.

She hated to admit it, but Yang was still right - Penny _was_ awesome. Sweet, kind, and refreshingly honest, she actually reminded Weiss a lot of Ruby.

That thought made Weiss smile while turning back to Penny.

"What other hobbies are you interested in?" she asked, and felt her jealousy disappear when Penny looked more than happy to answer. And Weiss was more than happy to listen, even if it meant learning more areas where Penny and Ruby were more similar than she and Ruby were.

This was an opportunity to learn more about one of Ruby's closest friends, and to learn more about Ruby in the process. Weiss would always jump at the chance to learn more about Ruby, and possibly make a new friend in the process.

She still didn't believe in soulmates, but...maybe she believed that she and Ruby were soulmates in the making.


	49. Rock 'n Roll Part 2 - The Audition - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
Summary: Part 2 of Rock 'n Roll AU**

* * *

"How many do you think will show?"

Heading towards the band rooms with Yang and Blake, Ruby thought back to a few days earlier and how many people seemed legitimately interested in auditioning for their band.

"A handful. Maybe four or five?"

"Guess that's better than nothing!"

It _was_ better than nothing, seeing as how a band without a singer was closer to an orchestra than anything else. The three of them could sing, mostly, but they were more suited for backup roles than the focal point of any song. They needed someone who could _sing_. Someone whose voice captured attention and elevated their music to another level.

For some reason, Weiss popped into Ruby's mind with that thought. Which was dumb. Having an attitude problem didn't make Weiss a lead singer. It made her...kind of a bitch, actually. A really pretty, sharp-witted, also kind of funny one, but a bitch nonetheless.

Ruby hoped Weiss didn't show up.

Except not really.

After spending the last few days replaying their conversation in her head, Ruby realized that she missed _so many_ good comebacks. If they ever saw each other again, she was determined to do better. She expected better of herself. She was Yang Xiao Long's sister, after all, and being Yang's sister meant knowing how to make a good comeback.

"Hopefully one of them's halfway decent…" Yang added as they walked into the building and towards the room they reserved for the afternoon.

"They'll at least be better than you," Blake replied with a playful smile, and Ruby laughed while Yang pouted.

"She's got you there, Yang," Ruby agreed and, rather than argue, Yang smiled and shook her head.

"Guess that's why they put the drums in the back."

Laughing at the subtle admission of Yang's less-than-stellar singing voice, Ruby pulled open the door to the band room and walked inside. Her laughter ended the moment she spotted Weiss sitting in one of the chairs near the small stage in the room. Her heart decided to skip a beat instead. Maybe a few beats. And she even smiled.

She was going to be called stupid again, but she was pretty damn happy about that at the moment.

But, tempering her smile, she walked over and mentally prepared herself for the conversation to come. This was it - time for her A game. With an audience too - even better.

As soon as Weiss noticed their entrance, she stood and made a show of checking the time on her phone before shaking her head and tsking.

"I'm not late," Ruby immediately said, jumping to her defense even though Weiss hadn't said anything.

"You aren't early either," she replied in that dismissive tone Ruby hadn't been able to get out of her head. "It's not proper etiquette to let your attendees arrive before you."

"Usually I'd care, but you're the only one here."

It had been all of three seconds, but Ruby's mind was firing on all cylinders already. She was ready - she was _excited_ \- and she smiled in the face of Weiss' scoff.

"Oh, is this the girl?"

The question drew Weiss and Ruby's gazes away from each other, and Yang grinned while wrapping an arm around Blake's waist.

"Weiss Schnee," Weiss said while extending her hand to shake Yang's. "And you are?"

"Yang. Ruby's sister."

"It's nice to meet you," Weiss replied with a polite shake of Yang's hand. "But I must ask - did you inherit all the intelligence in your family?"

Even though Ruby scowled at the question, it was hard to feel hurt when she already knew the insult was coming. Yang, however, laughed.

"You're right," she directed towards Blake. "I like her."

"At least someone does," Ruby interjected. As soon as those beautiful blue eyes snapped back to her, a rush of energy surged through her veins. "Did you scare our other potential leads away?" she added while gesturing towards the empty room, and Weiss' gaze followed the path of her hand before settling back on her with a hint of a smile.

"No, I told them to leave."

Ruby _had_ been distracted by Weiss' almost smile, but _that_ caught her full attention in a heartbeat.

"You...what?"

"I told them to leave," Weiss repeated with a smug expression. "Since you don't seem capable of making the best decisions, I decided to help by narrowing down your options."

"But what if they were better than you?"

"They weren't - trust me."

The confidence in Weiss' words made it extremely difficult for Ruby to be upset about what just happened. Because she'd met all of the people who'd expressed an interest in joining and...she already knew that Weiss was the most...compelling...option.

And her consternation completely disappeared when Weiss' gaze slowly roved over her - from her shoes to her pants, her shirt, her hair, then back down again.

"Don't you have something for me?"

That look was seriously distracting, but Ruby sprang into action at the question. She'd hoped that Weiss would ask. She'd hoped for a lot of things, actually, and that was one of them.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget?"

After swinging her backpack off her shoulders and setting it on the floor, she unzipped the main compartment and pulled a handful of flowers from inside. The walk over here had crushed them pretty good, so a bunch of the petals had fallen off, but they still looked somewhat like flowers. They were at least green.

"These are for you."

When she extended the world's worst bouquet to Weiss, another hint of a smile appeared. But she couldn't decide what Weiss was most amused about - the fact that Ruby remembered the flower comment, the fact that she actually brought them, or the fact that she'd clearly tried to make it as unromantic as possible.

"You call these flowers?" Weiss asked while taking them from Ruby's hand and looking them over.

"Wouldn't you?"

Hearing Yang chuckle at the interaction, Ruby grinned. If Yang thought this was funny, that meant Ruby was winning. She didn't know _what_ she was winning exactly, but she still wanted to win.

"Where did you even get these?" Weiss asked, finally recovered enough to re-engage.

"Snapped 'em off places around campus." Ruby shrugged at the response, but Weiss scoffed.

"So, basically, you stole these from school to give to me."

"Well I didn't want to waste any money, you know. I'm a cheap person - hope you weren't expecting a fancy date." When Ruby winked, Weiss met her gaze with that same subtly-amused expression.

"So instead of wasting money, you wasted your time."

"I wouldn't call it _wasting_ time," Ruby argued. Although, if she really thought about it, it _was_ a waste of time to run around campus looking for the prettiest flowers to give to a girl she cared nothing about. In fact, she cared the opposite of nothing about Weiss. Or the opposite of everything about Weiss.

She _didn't_ care, basically. She only wanted to have a great piece of banter _in case_ Weiss showed up.

"I believe my family has a compost pile these can go on..." Weiss mused while setting the bunch of flowers on top of her bag. "Now, shall we begin?"

When Weiss waved towards the stage - everything in her posture and expression suggesting she expected Ruby to get up there - Ruby scoffed.

"In case you've forgotten, _we're_ the ones looking for a singer, so _we're_ the ones doing the judging."

"Yes, but you're the one who wants to use my name in your 'band' -"

"Hate to break it to you," Ruby interrupted while raising one hand, "But we couldn't give a shit about your name."

The room stilled after the response, and she suddenly worried that she went too far. She even considered apologizing - for like a _split_ second - but then Weiss smiled. A _real_ smile.

"Well," she replied with a small huff. "I'm not joining anything without knowing the qualifications of the members."

"Which means…?"

"I want to hear you play."

Sensing that Weiss was serious, Ruby scoffed and glanced towards Yang and Blake, who'd taken seats nearby and were watching the conversation with great interest.

"We don't have to audition for _you_."

"No, not them," Weiss said with a dismissive wave towards Yang and Blake. "I'm sure they're both highly skilled musicians. _You're_ the one I'm most...concerned about."

"It's sweet of you to be concerned about me," Ruby teased, which made Weiss cross her arms over her chest.

"Don't read too much into it."

"I'm reading a _lot_ into it."

"I'm surprised you can read social cues at all."

Ruby rolled her eyes at the dig and opened her mouth to respond, only to pause and furrow her brow.

"Wait - that means I'm right."

"Are we going to do this or not?" Weiss replied with an impatient motion towards the stage. "I don't think you can play a guitar with your head so far up in the clouds - prove me wrong."

The opportunity to prove Weiss wrong about _anything_ was immediately appealing. But this was _Ruby's_ band. As in, it was her idea to start one, and she was the one who came up with the name and idea to search for a lead vocalist. Trying out for her own band seemed ridiculous.

So she turned to Yang and Blake for backup. Unfortunately, they were nodding along.

"It sounds like a good idea," Yang said with a grin. "It's been a while since we've tested your skills." She winked with the remark, meaning she was joking while casually _throwing Ruby to the wolves_ , as any sister would do.

"I agree."

"You too?" Ruby whined, and Blake smiled.

"You can use one of the loaner guitars over there," Blake added with a nod towards the other side of the room. After glancing over, Ruby glared at her bandmates and former friends.

" _And_ you want me to use those pieces of crap?"

"A true musician -"

"Save it," Ruby cut in before stalking to the other side of the room. She brushed close to Weiss as she passed, and noticed the smug expression following her to the loaner instruments. She _didn't like_ but also _really liked_ that expression, which was frustrating and exciting at the same time.

Fortunately for her, she was quickly distracted by the state of the poor instruments free to be used by anyone who rented the room. They were just as beat up as anyone would expect. But, as Blake had been about to say, a true musician didn't let their instrument get in their way.

The saying was bullshit, of course. A crappy instrument absolutely got in the way, but Ruby was pretty positive she could make any piece of crap work well enough to wipe the smug look from Weiss' face.

"Probably hasn't been tuned in ten years..." she grumbled while trying to tune the strings. Once it sounded as good as it would probably get, she hopped onto the stage and gave Weiss a fake smile. "Alright, I call this one 'Weiss Schnee Can Bite Me.'"

Weiss raised her brow at the title, but Yang burst into laughter.

"Suggestive," Blake pointed out with a smile.

"Love it!" Yang added with several enthusiastic nods.

"You guys are the worst..." Ruby muttered before taking a deep breath and focusing on the strings. They didn't actually have a song called 'Weiss Schnee Can Bite Me,' but she should write one. That might help get all of these strange, conflicting feelings out of her head.

But, since that would take a few days, she would play one of their other songs instead. Something fast and impressive so that Weiss took her more seriously.

Who was she kidding. She could be the world's best guitar player and Weiss still wouldn't take her seriously. The only question was...did she want Weiss to take her seriously?

After catching a wink and thumbs up from the peanut gallery, she met Weiss' gaze and realized that yes, she wanted Weiss to take her seriously. So she picked out the first chord and set off through the beginning of the song at a quick pace. Once she settled into the rhythm and familiarity of the song, she didn't even need to look at her hands anymore. Instead, she watched Weiss' reaction to her acoustic rendition of one of her favorite songs.

Was Weiss actually impressed? She looked vaguely impressed, although it was hard to read past her neutral expression. The way her eyes moved from Ruby's face to her hands and back again suggested something not altogether negative. From the girl who ate lemons for breakfast, Ruby would take that as a huge positive.

As soon as she strummed the last note of the song, she quickly silenced the strings and hopped down from the stage. Taking Yang's over-the-top whistles and Blake's polite clapping as proof that she just nailed her 'audition,' she grinned and turned to Weiss.

"So, what do you think? Am I _good enough_ for you?"

She knew she opened herself up for criticism with those questions, but her mind was already fired up waiting for their banter to resume. Weiss would insult her, then she would shoot back a witty retort, and they were off again.

Instead of doing that, however, Weiss merely shrugged and walked over.

Ruby hadn't noticed until now, but Weiss had some swagger to her steps. And...well, Ruby was a little more clear-headed before noticing that.

"Someone must've taught you how to play," Weiss remarked once close enough to take the guitar from Ruby's hands.

"I taught myself how to play."

"She's really good with her fingers," Yang chipped in before laughing. The comment made Ruby blush, but she didn't shy away from Weiss' gaze. That amused smirk was back, but it was the added sparkle in those blue eyes that made her more than willing to continue the topic Yang just supplied them with.

"I _am_ good with my fingers," Ruby agreed, and smiled when Weiss blinked at the brazen comment. "But what I want to know is..." Taking a step forward, she leaned close to Weiss' ear and whispered "are you good with your mouth?"

By the time Ruby pulled away, Weiss was already smirking.

"I'll show you," she quipped and, with a flip of her hair, took the spot on the stage where Ruby had just been. Determined to look uninterested and bored - and not at all turned on by the response - Ruby sat next to Yang and prepared for whatever came next.

It was hard to look disinterested while leaning really far forward and waiting on bated breath for what Weiss decided to do next. Would she sing? Would she launch into an impassioned speech about how badly Ruby played guitar? Really, Ruby didn't know which she wanted more.

No, she knew what she wanted more. She wanted to hear Weiss sing. If Weiss was going to be haughty and hot about everything, she had to back it up at some point.

After closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth...and started to sing.

Ruby's jaw dropped at the first smooth, beautiful note, and remained open when Weiss followed up with another, and another. She opened her eyes and, upon spotting Ruby's dumbstruck expression, continued with a smirk pulling at her lips.

Ruby hardly even picked out the words because she was too busy being mesmerized by the _sound_ of Weiss' voice. She sounded like...like...an angel.

Yang and Blake were just as awestruck as Ruby was, and no one so much as moved before Weiss fell silent. She didn't stay silent for long, however, as she stepped off the stage and smirked at Ruby.

"Am _I_ good enough for _you_?"

That was the perfect opening for the perfect burn, but Ruby came up empty-handed. All she could do was nod dumbly, which made Yang laugh from beside her.

"You're hired!" Yang proclaimed. After turning to Blake for a concurring nod, she grinned and slapped Ruby on the shoulder. "Holy shit, you've got a _voice_. Only question is...can you scream?"

"Scream?" Weiss asked while Yang winked at Ruby.

"Oh nevermind. Ruby's gonna find that out for us."

Ruby blushed at the comment, but Weiss scoffed.

"Your sister doesn't have a chance with me in a million years."

When Ruby saw the sparkle in Weiss' eyes, she managed to untie her tongue and stand up. She was taller than Weiss and _loving_ the height advantage right about now. It forced Weiss to look up to meet her eyes, and gave her a bit of power that she would use to her advantage. She definitely needed an advantage right now, because Weiss quite literally just took her breath away.

"I have _no_ desire to be with you," she said, but Weiss smirked at what felt increasingly like a lie.

"That'd be more convincing if you weren't drooling over me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I get some on your designer shoes?"

"These aren't even designer," Weiss huffed, not backing down even when Ruby stepped closer. "I'd never waste a good outfit on you. Not that you'd know a good outfit if it wrapped itself around your waist."

The look Weiss gave Ruby implied that her outfit was horrible. It would have been more convincing if Weiss didn't lick her lips while slowly roving her eyes over Ruby yet again.

"Like what you see?" Ruby teased, bringing Weiss' gaze snapping back to hers. "Maybe _you're_ the one who'd like to be wrapped around my waist."

"It's cute that you think you could handle me, but you really can't."

"Pretty sure that's what I just did," Ruby replied with a wave towards the stage. She moved her hand right by Weiss' ear when she did so, and smiled when Weiss didn't so much as flinch. "If you don't agree, you will - because I'm your new lead guitarist."

"Who said I want to be in your band?" Weiss shot back.

"Uh, you did. By being here."

"What if I only came to see you?"

Ruby opened her mouth but paused when the words sank in.

"Did you?"

"Of course not." Weiss rolled her eyes but didn't offer another explanation, which _kind of_ made Ruby think it was a lie.

"Ok, guys."

Catching motion in the corner of her eye, Ruby turned and watched Yang and Blake stand up.

"We're gonna leave you two alone, if you know what I mean." When Yang winked, _everyone_ knew what she meant. "Weiss, welcome to the band," she added while shaking Weiss' hand one last time. "Ruby, good luck."

After sending another wink to Ruby, Yang pulled Blake out of the room, but Blake put her hand on the door and turned around before leaving.

"The room's reserved for another hour, by the way," she pointed out with a barely concealed smirk. "Just make sure to lock the door."

When Blake pulled the door closed and left the two of them there alone, Weiss scoffed.

"I know," Ruby replied to Weiss' unspoken statement. "They think they're real funny."

"It's easy to think of something clever when you're not part of the conversation."

"Exactly! But that wasn't even clever."

"Agreed."

Realizing at the same moment that they just agreed on something, they gave each other quick looks before turning away.

That felt...weird...but not altogether bad. Just...weird. And what were the chances of something like that happening again?

After a few seconds of silence, Ruby cleared her throat and spoke up.

"We practice Tuesday and Saturday nights, unless we're busy. And if you're actually interested."

Weiss scoffed again, but the sound lacked most of the harshness from before.

"Unlike you, I don't waste my time with pointless endeavors," she said with a gesture towards the flowers lying across her bag.

"I see." Ruby nodded at the implication and shrugged for good measure. "You're right - if those were pointless, so is joining our band."

When Weiss didn't outright reject the statement, Ruby felt something along the lines of hope - or maybe excitement. Anticipation. Because maybe...

"Fine," Weiss eventually snapped. "I might as well join since you're so desperate. Besides, my father will hate it."

"Ah," Ruby replied with an understanding nod while internally jumping with joy. "Well, feel free to use me to get back at your dad as much as you want. And, you know, _however_ you want."

When Ruby threw in a wink, Weiss almost laughed. But a soft chuckle was all that made it out before she caught herself and shook her head instead.

"You're joking, but he would hate you too."

"Sounds like I'm the perfect one to help you get back at him then," Ruby mused before smiling. "What're the chances?"

For a long time, Weiss just looked at her and mulled over the response. The lack of a quick rebuttal piqued Ruby's interest, but she didn't interrupt the quiet and waited for Weiss to speak.

"Yes...what are the chances," she repeated before picking up her bag - and the flowers from Ruby - and moving towards the door. Sensing that their time together was quickly coming to an end, Ruby grabbed her own bag and hurried after.

"So I'll see you around, I guess?" she asked, realizing that Weiss never made a firm commitment to make it to practice tomorrow.

"What do you mean 'see me around?'"

"Uh, _typically_ it means that we go our separate ways now, but we'll...see each other around. As in, later."

Ruby grinned at the sarcastic response, but Weiss pursed her lips and motioned for Ruby to open the door. She did so on instinct, then silently cursed herself for falling for it the moment she saw Weiss' smirk.

"But we have a dinner reservation," Weiss added while walking into the hall.

"We...what?"

"You're the one who called it a date," Weiss replied, not even pausing while Ruby scrambled after her. "I don't know about you, but my dates typically involve dinner."

"See, that's where we're different. I usually just give them some shitty flowers and they'll sleep with me."

Again, Weiss nearly laughed, but caught herself and smiled instead.

"You'll have to do far better than that."

"Good thing I'm an overachiever."

"Everything you've done points to the contrary," Weiss replied before glancing over. "But maybe you can prove me wrong - over dinner."

"You know…" Pausing to draw out the response, Ruby waited for Weiss' gaze to return to her before smiling. "Proving you wrong is my new favorite thing to do."

For a split second, it looked like Weiss would actually smile, or laugh, or in some way show that she enjoyed the response. Instead, she forced a neutral expression - with just a _hint_ of a smile hidden beneath the surface.

"How would you know when you've never done it?"

Ruby _probably_ could've come up with something clever or snappy to say. Instead, she laughed - because that retort was far more amusing than she should have found it.

"Alright then," she teased while following Weiss away from the building. "Bring it on."

She hadn't had any plans, but apparently she was spending Friday night proving Weiss Schnee wrong.

She liked the sound of that.


	50. Rock 'n Roll Part 3 - The Date - WR

**Pairing: White Rose  
** **Summary** **: Third and final part of Rock Band AU**

* * *

Today wasn't going nearly as expected, but Ruby couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing. Her expectation was to hold auditions for their next lead singer, find an adequately-talented person who had room to grow, then happily invite them to join the band. They would have practices, share jokes, write songs, and maybe even become friends.

What she hadn't expected was for Weiss Schnee, AKA the stick-in-the-mud who wouldn't get out of her thoughts, to show up. _That_ was unexpected. And Weiss had the voice of an angel, because of course she did, _and_ she agreed to join their band, which seemed next-level improbable. Then she dragged Ruby across campus for dinner.

Ruby had been joking about the date. Kind of. It was more of a 'I'm joking if you think I'm joking, but I'm serious if you think I'm serious' type of thing.

She'd been joking! Totally joking. Why would she want to go on a date with someone who sang like an angel, _looked_ like an angel, but spit fireballs like a dragon? It was hot - really hot - but not at all what she'd expected. Now, she couldn't tell whether Weiss had just taken this 'joke' to professional levels of snark, or if this was supposed to be a real date.

Basically, she was caught off guard, and being caught off guard meant she couldn't deflect those fireballs as easily as usual. She needed to regain the upper hand somehow...

Unfortunately, the only thing she'd accomplished so far was following Weiss halfway across campus. Hopefully she didn't look too much like a puppy yapping at Weiss' heels but, in case she did, she lengthened her stride and matched Weiss' brisk pace. It was pretty easy to do considering Weiss was so short. Adorably short, one might say.

Ruby wouldn't say that. That was no way to gain the upper hand on Weiss Schnee.

"So...what's this reservation you made?" she asked instead, determined to rediscover her wit by any means necessary.

"Well, nice restaurants allow you to call ahead and _reserve_ a table. Hence 'reservation.'"

That'll do it. While Ruby rolled her eyes at the sarcastic response, her rebuttal spun into high gear.

"Ohhh...I get it. Guess I wouldn't know anything about that since I've _never_ used a phone before."

"That's unfortunate. I guess it's not worth asking for your number."

"Wait - do you want my number?"

"Why would I want that?" When Weiss smiled at Ruby, looking too smug and too beautiful at the same time, Ruby couldn't decide whether she was annoyed or aroused.

Annoyed. Definitely annoyed...ish.

"So you can call me and tell me what an idiot I am?" she suggested, and somehow didn't find herself very opposed to that situation.

"I have better things to do than that," Weiss scoffed before waving for Ruby to follow her towards the row of restaurants and shops across the street from campus. Ruby had no idea where they were going, which meant she kind of _had_ to follow Weiss like a...very independent puppy, but she was still a little preoccupied with the phone number thing.

"Ok, then...so you can call me and tell me you'll be late for practice?"

"It's cute that you think I'd be late for something."

That wasn't _really_ a compliment, but a blush still rose on Ruby's cheeks. She hadn't expected someone like Weiss to use such a...cute...word, which was why she got so hung up on it and thought nothing of opening the door when Weiss motioned towards it.

It wasn't until she saw Weiss' smirk that she realized what she just did - again. "Dammit..." she muttered while following Weiss into the restaurant.

"You can be surprisingly gentlemanly," Weiss replied. Of course she pointed it out, because everything she did was meant to throw Ruby off. And that was before Ruby realized what restaurant they just walked into.

Massimo's - AKA the most expensive, hoity-toity 'eatery' near campus. Its sole purpose was to feed wealthy parents in town to see their children, or serve dainty heiresses with giant attitudes. For obvious reasons, Ruby had never eaten here. One, she didn't have money shooting from her eyes like lasers. Two, she wasn't dainty. And three, she didn't have a giant attitude.

Ok, _maybe_ she had a giant attitude too...

Regardless, this place of pomp and circumstance was lightyears out of her comfort zone. If she wanted any shot at winning this...whatever this was...she could _not_ spend dinner wondering which fork to use. This was Weiss' attempt to gain an advantage, and she wasn't falling for it. Time to flip the tables!

Not literally though, because she didn't want to get arrested.

"This is where you picked?" Planting her feet just inside the door, she looked around the room and searched for a solution - anything that got her out of here and to somewhere more comfortable. Weiss walked several more steps towards the hostess before noticing Ruby's absence and turning around.

"Yes. Is there a problem with it?"

"No, I just...had a different idea of what our first date would look like." _There._ Surprise flickered through Weiss' eyes, and Ruby's confidence soared.

"Why are you imagining dates with me?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I be?" Ruby replied with a smile. "You could be the girl of my dreams, for all you know."

Considering her dreams last night, that was literally true. But she didn't give Weiss the opportunity to dwell on the response before grabbing her by the hand and dragging her back outside. Once freed of the snooty atmosphere, Ruby glanced around, quickly got her bearings, and grinned when she spotted the perfect place.

"I've got a better idea," she added while leading Weiss towards their new destination. They were already halfway there when she realized she was still holding Weiss' hand, which was easy and natural but made her heart beat like crazy. Weiss noticed the next second, however, and they quickly pulled their hands apart without saying a word.

The voice of an angel and the softest, cutest hands in the world...Ruby almost felt bad that her hands were covered in calluses from playing so much guitar. _Almost_ felt bad, but not quite. Unless Weiss said that she didn't like them, in which case she would actually feel bad.

"I assume you have a reason for avoiding a perfectly good reservation," Weiss said instead, thankfully letting the whole 'hand-holding' thing fall behind them.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, obviously you agreed to go on a date with me -" Again, surprise - or maybe even excitement - flickered through Weiss' eyes, and Ruby's heart decided to skip a beat. "So you're obviously looking for something different -"

"Calling yourself 'different' might be too loose a term..."

"You're looking for an _adventure_ ," she concluded as if Weiss hasn't spoken at all. "And you can't go on an adventure in some stuck-up restaurant. But this place -" She stopped and waved towards her favorite hole-in-the-wall, which was just a step above an actual hole in the wall. "This place has serious character, don't you think?"

Weiss' disbelief was palpable, which made Ruby grin with success. Now she was in _her_ element - a taco place aptly named Ted's Tacos - and Weiss was firmly out of hers. Unless Weiss secretly liked greasy, super-cheap street food, but that seemed about as likely as...well, as this date.

"Are they even allowed to serve food here?" she finally asked, and Ruby laughed.

"That's a great question! I have no idea, but what do you say? Are you with me?" With her smile still in place, Ruby extended her hand and waited for Weiss' answer. Her anticipation rose with each passing second, and she honestly couldn't tell whether Weiss would agree or storm off.

"If I get food poisoning, I'm holding you personally responsible," she finally said while _accepting Ruby's hand_ and letting Ruby lead her into the restaurant.

This time, Ruby willingly opened the door. That's what she was supposed to do, right? She had no idea. All she could think about was holding Weiss' hand -

Wait. Was this Weiss' way of regaining the advantage? Did she know how much this flustered Ruby? To be fair, this should fluster _anyone_ , so it wasn't _that_ newsworthy that Ruby also felt flustered. But now she was praying to higher powers that her palm didn't start sweating...

"Are we supposed to just...sit?" Weiss asked while the door fell shut behind them. Her eyes swept the 'cozy' interior with discernment and a bit of confusion, but Ruby jumped on the opportunity to teach the princess how to eat like a commoner. Not that she was a commoner, but she clearly wasn't a princess.

"We order at the register." Leading Weiss towards the counter, Ruby gestured towards the menu nailed to the wall above them. "There's the menu."

"Are those prices real?"

Hearing the genuine surprise in Weiss' voice, Ruby couldn't help but giggle. And, when she did, an honest-to-goodness smile appeared on Weiss' lips. "They are!" she said with a nod. "Order whatever you want - I'm paying."

"Why would you pay? I clearly have more money than you."

"One, ouch." Ruby mimed stabbing a knife into her heart and smiled when Weiss scoffed in what _had_ to be amusement. "Two, because I just called it."

"You can't 'call' paying. The person with more money is expected to pay."

"What kind of fancy rules are you talking about?"

"They aren't _fancy_ rules. They're just...rules."

After giving Weiss an extra second to come up with a response that had a little more _oomph_ than that, Ruby grinned when none appeared.

"Hate to break it to you," she said before giving her best attempt at a devilishly-sexy smolder. "But I don't follow the rules."

To Weiss' credit, she held a serious expression for all of three seconds before dissolving into the lightest, cutest laughter Ruby had ever heard.

"Well _obviously_ I know that," Weiss added with a smile. "You can't even fill out one form to request a table on campus -"

"Hey!" Ruby protested. "I'm _almost_ positive you're making that up."

"I'm not. You just haven't read the student handbook."

"We have a handbook?" Hearing someone clear their throat, Ruby turned away from Weiss' smile and blushed when she found the cashier waiting for them to order. "Sorry," she said before attempting to regain her composure. She needed to stay cool, calm, and collected - everything she didn't feel right now.

"That's fine," the cashier replied while clearly holding back a smile. "Do you know what you'd like?"

"I'll have the number four combo," Ruby answered before turning to Weiss. "And you'll have...?"

"The same, I guess."

"Such lukewarm acceptance," she teased while extending her card towards the cashier. Once their remarkably cheap meal was rung up and paid for, the cashier handed Ruby's card back with a smile.

"You guys are really cute together, by the way."

The comment drew another blush from Ruby, who opened her mouth to say something witty only for a small scoff to slip out. Weiss, however, managed a much more convincing scoff in the same amount of time.

"Please. She wishes she could get someone like me."

When Weiss spun on her heel and walked away, the cashier looked so shocked that Ruby chuckled and shook her head.

"Women, right? One minute they love you, the next they can't stand you."

The response worked like magic, as their cashier laughed and motioned for Ruby to wait while their meals were prepared. More than willing to do just that, Ruby leaned against the counter and smiled.

She just convinced someone that she and Weiss were dating. Maybe she could convince even more people...wouldn't it be funny if Weiss went to class tomorrow only to realize that the entire school assumed they were going out?

Sneaking a glance towards Weiss, who'd picked a table near the window and now looked a combination of bored and antsy, another smile snuck onto Ruby's lips. Weiss would be pissed if her _sterling_ reputation was sullied by some outlandish gossip.

...but what if it wasn't that outlandish? She seemed awfully willing to 'go on a date' with Ruby. Wasn't 'dating' only one step above that? What came after that? 'Falling in love?' 'Moving in together?' 'Marriage?'

That was really, really jumping the gun. First, she needed to make it through this 'date,' if that's what this even was.

"Here you go." The cashier set a tray on the counter with the words, and Ruby smiled while grabbing it.

"Thanks!" The food looked awesome - to her, at least - but these poor tacos were about to face the harshest critic they'd ever met. Would they quickly find themselves in the garbage can? Or flat-out refused? They were about to find out.

"Bon appétit," Ruby said while setting the tray in the middle of the table and watching Weiss examine it with an intent gaze. "You wanted an adventure, remember?" Ruby added while sitting down and grabbing one of the plates holding two stuffed tacos.

" _You_ said I'm looking for adventure, not me."

"If you weren't, you wouldn't be here with me right now."

It was a bluff, but Ruby took her first bite and waited to see how it would play out. Weiss scoffed, as she seemed prone to do, but then frowned at the food for several seconds before finally pulling the second plate towards her.

"Fine…" she mumbled at the same time, as if that might erase her subtle agreement. Then, without hesitation, she picked up one of the tacos and took a bite. She didn't immediately spit it out, which gave Ruby enough confidence to continue the conversation.

"So spill," she said after finishing her second bite. "How'd you learn to sing like that? Did your parents steal someone's voice for you?"

"No, my father forced me into years of voice lessons. Apparently, you never know when you might need to make your daughter sing for a group of your investors and employees." When Weiss took her second bite as if the taco just offended her, Ruby chewed thoughtfully. That explanation was bitter - so bitter that it made their constant barbs feel more playful than anything else. If that's what Weiss sounded like when she was actually annoyed, could this mean...that she actually _liked_ Ruby? That didn't seem right...but, at the same time, made her heart flutter.

"You still like singing, right?" she asked, because the last thing she wanted was for Weiss to keep doing something she hated. Fortunately, that worry disappeared when Weiss met her gaze.

"I love singing. He may have forced me to learn, but in doing so gave me a voice of my own." The strength in Weiss' eyes put more butterflies in Ruby's chest, but she didn't have the opportunity to respond to that feeling before Weiss frowned down at her food. "I don't understand how you eat this, by the way. It's borderline inedible."

"That's what I like about it!" Recognizing that the prior topic was over for now, Ruby threw on a grin and embraced their return to normalcy. "Don't you like struggling through your food? It reminds me that we shouldn't take anything, even something as simple as eating, for granted."

While Ruby grinned at the answer, Weiss stared at her for several seconds before laughing.

"I can't believe you just made eating garbage a philosophical argument..."

"I can make _anything_ a philosophical argument."

"Uh huh..." Weiss teased before taking another bite to eat. If Ruby didn't know any better, she'd say that Weiss actually liked the tacos. But she definitely knew better than to say that out loud...

Part of this felt so surreal to her. Sitting here with a gorgeous, albeit a tad ornery, girl...who had the most beautiful voice Ruby had ever heard...eating cheap tacos and making jokes. If this was what their future had in store, she was all for it. That is, if Weiss felt the same.

"Ok real talk." After polishing off her first taco, Ruby brushed off her hands and set them on the table. "Do you actually want to join our band?"

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but that's not the same as _wanting_ to. I don't want you to do something you don't want to." Even though _she_ wanted Weiss to join now more than ever before, she wouldn't feel right if Weiss only agreed because she felt obligated to.

After giving Ruby a long, searching look, however, Weiss smiled.

"Do I seem like someone who would do something I don't want to?"

"You just said your dad forced you into voice lessons -"

"And he doesn't control me anymore."

"So you _do_ want to," Ruby said, only for Weiss to set down her partially-eaten taco and calmly brush off her hands.

"I wouldn't have shown up if I wasn't...interested."

The look Weiss gave Ruby with that word made her skin tingle, and she suddenly found herself needing to clear her throat before attempting a response.

"The, uh, the interest is mutual." When Weiss raised her brow, Ruby shook her head and tried again. "I mean the band. The band is interested. Because that's what we're talking about."

That wasn't the smoothest response in the world, but it was good enough for another slow smile to appear on Weiss' lips, and Ruby's heart responded by melting.

"Then yes. I _want_ to join. Assuming, of course, this is a serious endeavor and not just some child's dream."

The subtle swipe couldn't even put a dent in Ruby's mood right now. Instead, she smiled and nodded at their new lead singer.

"We're serious. We've already picked a handful of songs to record. Yang has a friend interning at a recording studio downtown - they said they'd let us use it for pretty cheap. And I've been talking to a bunch of venues in town to see about playing - most of them are willing to give us a shot."

"...really?"

"Yes." The surprise in Weiss' voice made Ruby feel pretty damn pleased with herself, and it definitely made all of the work worth it. "We're serious, and we plan on making this work. So I hope you're ready to spend a lot of time with me because I'm pretty sure we'll be sharing rooms while we travel around the world."

She winked with that suggestion, but Weiss looked too surprised to respond. That surprise eventually disappeared, however, and something along the lines of amusement took its place.

"If you actually get this to work, I'll gladly share a room with you."

"...really?"

"Why not?" Weiss shrugged and took another bite to eat, but Ruby couldn't even think about food right now.

"What if there's only one bed?"

"I don't bite," Weiss said before giving Ruby a sly smile. "Unless you want me to."

In one sentence, Ruby lost any advantage she'd managed to build up for herself. Now, she couldn't stop thinking about Weiss biting - things that weren't her - while they shared a hotel room, and a bed, on the road. Long days...even longer nights...

Shaking that thought out of her head, she cleared her throat but came up with exactly zero words to say. And, unfortunately for her, Weiss seemed to pick up on her predicament, because that smile hadn't yet faded away.

"I guess we'll...see," she managed to spit out, only to wish she hadn't said anything at all. Now there was an undeniable blush on her cheeks, and Weiss' gaze had locked onto her like a predator that just spotted its favorite type of prey.

Whatever she said next was guaranteed to knock Ruby out of this...whatever this was...and she couldn't let that happen. Not yet, anyway. She was a Rose, dammit! And Roses could hold their own in a battle of wits.

"Are you done?" she blurted out before Weiss said anything, and shot to her feet so fast that she banged her knee into the bottom of the table. After a brief moment of surprise, no doubt stunned by Ruby's stellar topic change, Weiss glanced at her tray and nodded.

"Yes."

"You want to take that one home?" Ruby offered next, but Weiss shook her head.

"No, thank you. I'll be fine without it."

"Then we'll recycle it." Before Weiss could ask what that meant, Ruby grabbed the untouched taco and jogged outside. After a glance in both directions, she spotted the perfect recycle bin - a guy on a skateboard headed straight towards her.

"Hey man!" she called out before holding up the taco to get his attention. "Free taco! You want it?"

Eyes widening at the offer, he popped up his skateboard and walked over to her. "No way. Really?"

"Really! All yours."

"Sweet!" Taking the taco from Ruby, he took a giant bite before making a noise of content, hopping back on his skateboard, and riding away. While watching him cross the street to campus, Ruby turned and grinned as Weiss walked out of the restaurant to join her.

"See? Recycled."

"Doing your part for the environment, I see."

"Right? I play guitar _and_ I'm eco-friendly. How much of a catch am I?" Glancing to the side in time to catch Weiss' smile and eye roll, Ruby chuckled at her own joke. The lack of disagreement was as good as acceptance, which meant Weiss _did_ think she was a catch. How could she not be a catch? She played guitar! She was in a band! All super cool things, if she said so herself.

"That reminds me," Weiss muttered while pulling her phone from her bag. "You should give me your number so we can discuss practices." Catching sight of Ruby's growing smile, she frowned. "What?"

"That was a pretty smooth way to ask for my number."

"I wasn't _asking_ ," Weiss argued. "I was pointing out that you _should_ give me your number. How else are we supposed to communicate? Skywriting?"

Rather than argue, especially when she _wanted t_ o give Weiss her number, Ruby smiled and held out her hand for the phone. "Skywriting sounds cool," she added when Weiss handed it over. It didn't take more than a few seconds to enter her contact information, but she decided to have a little fun while she was at it. In all likelihood, Weiss would never surrender her phone so easily again - Ruby had to take whatever opportunities she could get.

So she opened the camera, held the phone in front of her, flashed a 'peace' sign, and winked.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm setting your new phone background." Already finished, Ruby returned the phone with a grin. "Now whenever you open your phone, you'll think of me!"

When Weiss did just that, she stared at the screen for several seconds before scoffing.

"Hold that thought!" Ruby interrupted before Weiss said anything, and quickly pulled out her own phone to snap a photo. Clearly unaccustomed to having her photo randomly taken, Weiss blinked in surprise while Ruby grinned and repeated the process of setting a new phone wallpaper.

"And...there. Now whenever I open _my_ phone, I'll -" Testing it out, she unlocked her phone and promptly felt her heart slam into her ribcage. "Jesus," she muttered before meeting Weiss' gaze. "Do you have to be so beautiful?"

Weiss opened her mouth to respond but looked so taken aback by the compliment that no words came out. The lack of rebuttal clued Ruby into another invaluable tool at her disposal - shameless compliments. She only had to surrender her heart in the process, but she was doing that anyway.

"Ok." This time, she took a deep breath before unlocking her phone and finding gorgeous blue eyes looking back at her. "Every time I open _my_ phone, I'll have a little heart attack. Are we even?"

Eventually, Weiss regained her composure enough to smile and shake her head.

"You're ridiculous -"

"-ly charming?" Ruby added with a grin. "I know. Runs in the family."

If Weiss had a reply to that, she didn't use it. Instead, she laughed softly to herself and kept that smile in place. Seeing her so...happy...made Ruby happy, and she couldn't help but smile too.

Somehow, it felt like they could spend all of their time together and never run out of things to say. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback of going to a fast food joint was exactly that - it was fast. A sit-down restaurant would have given them more time together. Not that she _wanted_ more time together or anything, but now they stood outside Ted's Tacos with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

"You want to grab some ice cream or something?" she asked with a wave towards the nearest ice cream parlor, but Weiss glanced that way and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Do you always eat so horribly?"

"Yup! Helps that I have the metabolism of a rocket ship."

"Rocket ships don't have metabolisms."

"I meant as _fast_ as a rocket ship," Ruby corrected, only to feel like she somehow lost when Weiss smiled at her. "So you're not into ice cream," she added. "Anything else you like to do? Like stealing candy from children or something?"

"I work on homework," Weiss answered. "I have a fifty-page paper due in a few days."

"Fifty pages? Jesus."

"That's pre-law for you..." Weiss muttered, tapping her fingers against her arm and looking around with a frown.

"You want to be a lawyer?"

"No, but my father does."

"I thought your dad didn't control you anymore." As soon as Ruby pointed that out, Weiss' gaze snapped back to her. Reading the vague annoyance mixed with vague disbelief, she kept talking. "But he still kind of does, doesn't he?" she guessed. "As much as you hate it?"

"Once I graduate, I won't need him anymore."

"Better idea." Taking a step closer - close enough that Weiss had to tilt her chin to meet Ruby's eyes - Ruby set her hand on Weiss' arm and smiled. "Don't need him _now_. Get super rich and famous with me, then we'll tell him to shove off."

When Ruby expected Weiss to shrug her hand off, she didn't. Instead, she inched closer and locked onto Ruby with those heart-meltingly beautiful eyes.

"You know...sometimes you say things that actually make sense."

"Once in a blue moon," Ruby replied with a laugh, which was equal parts nervous and excited. "But before doing anything drastic, we should practice."

"Now you're being reasonable? What was in those tacos?"

"Pretty sure I've always been reasonable, you just haven't noticed until now."

While Ruby grinned at the response and finally dropped her hand back to her side, Weiss gave her a look that implied the statement might be true. Her gaze, however, never left Ruby's while working through her thoughts. Eventually, a small smile tugged at her lips, and she tilted her head in a small nod.

"I think I'm noticing a lot of things now..."

There wasn't a drop of sarcasm in her tone, and that alone was enough for Ruby's heart to beat faster. As was the look in her eyes...and their suddenly close proximity...

The next instant, the gap between them closed and their lips connected in a kiss. For one heart-stopping second, Ruby felt Weiss' soft lips on hers, smelled the scent of Weiss' shampoo, and realized that she had it _bad_ for the girl who could wipe the floor with her in any battle of wits.

The moment ended too soon, leaving her with a gnawing hunger in the pit of her stomach when they separated. But Weiss didn't move very far away. Instead, she remained in Ruby's space, and only slowly removed her hand from where it had come to rest on Ruby's arm.

Something just happened. Well, _obviously_ something just happened - something _huge_ \- but something just changed. Ruby saw it in Weiss' eyes, which never strayed from her own, and felt it in her heart, which had yet to slow down.

 _This was a real freaking date_.

"Was that…" _For real_ , Ruby wanted to ask, but cleared her throat and tried to clear her head. They just kissed. Weiss just kissed her. She just kissed Weiss.

"Was that your...your first kiss or something?" she finally said, but the tease came out as a whisper. Weiss still managed a scoff, though the blush on her cheeks hadn't yet faded away.

"If it was, I wouldn't have squandered it on you."

"Technically, you _should_ use all your practice ones on me, then you'll be better for when it really matters." Even though Ruby grinned at the joke, she regretted it the moment Weiss looked moderately upset.

"Are you saying it was bad?"

"N-no!" Ruby waved her hands and shook her head while switching into damage control mode. "Of course not! That was amazing. Best kiss I've ever had. Seriously."

She _was_ serious, and she was suddenly very willing to do whatever it took to convince Weiss of that. Fortunately, Weiss mulled over the response for a few seconds before nodding.

"But you're right. If I want to excel when I find someone worthy of my time, I should practice with someone...else."

"Exactly," Ruby agreed with a laugh at her own expense.

"Then we should do it again."

"Wait, what?"

The words hardly sank in before Weiss pulled Ruby into another kiss. As soon as their lips touched this time, what felt like electricity charged through Ruby's veins, and that feeling only increased as the kiss continued.

This time, Weiss didn't pull away. This time, she pressed forward, keeping their lips locked while her arms wrapped around Ruby's neck and refused to let her get away.

Like Ruby was trying to get anywhere but closer. Her hands clutched Weiss' sides and pulled their hips together, sharing their warmth while her skin grew increasingly hotter. And, when Weiss' tongue swiped across her lips, she willingly let the kiss deepen.

Two days ago, she would have bet a million dollars that Weiss would forget her name before making out with her in public. Today, she'd be _broke_ but still making out with Weiss freaking Schnee in public. And, if she was reading the situation correctly, Weiss couldn't get enough of her. She couldn't get enough of Weiss. Even with their lips locked, and their bodies pressed together, it didn't feel like _enough_.

A whistle reminded them that they were very much out in the open, and Weiss broke away with a deeper blush darkening her cheeks. Even though Ruby felt a matching blush on her own cheeks, she couldn't stop staring at Weiss while they both tried to catch their breath.

That just happened. That really just happened. Was it dumb that she hoped the cashier saw? Because Weiss literally just said Ruby could never get her and then _made out with her in front of everyone_. Where was free taco boy? He needed to come back and see what happened too.

"Ok, yeah," she got out while her heart hammered in her chest. "That wasn't your first kiss."

"Second kiss, remember," Weiss quipped before turning around and walking away, forcing Ruby to jog after her.

"If that was your second kiss, I _really_ want to know what the third will be like." When Weiss rolled her eyes, Ruby grinned and followed her wherever she was leading them.

Ruby's heart was _humming_ right now - that's how happy she was. She was quite possibly dreaming, which meant she would be disappointed when she woke up. Until then, shouldn't she continue as if this was the best night ever? And she was suddenly the luckiest person ever?

"So...feel like you need more practice?" she ventured to ask, and noticed Weiss glance over out of the corner of her eye.

"Possibly. I'm assuming you have roommates?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Then we're going to my place."

For the first time since they met, Ruby couldn't find a single argument, complaint, or sarcastic remark. Instead, she numbly let Weiss grab her hand and lead her towards the other side of campus.

First, a date. Then a kiss. Then a _second_ kiss. Then...going to Weiss' place? Where it sounded like there were no roommates?

One thing was for certain - starting a band was turning out to be the best damn decision Ruby ever made.

* * *

"And _that's_ how we started dating."

Having reached the end of the story, Ruby leaned back against the sofa and watched their interviewer nod in disbelief - or amusement, possibly. The woman, whose name Ruby had since forgotten, just spent the better part of the last hour jotting notes while she recounted the beginning of her and Weiss' relationship. The resulting masterpiece would appear in a magazine, which she also forgot the name of, to be read by their adoring fans.

"Sure, if you want to believe that highly exaggerated version, _that's_ how we started dating." Hearing the indifference in Weiss' tone, Ruby turned towards her and grinned.

"Oh really? Which parts were exaggerated?"

Even though Weiss managed a straight face at the question, a hint of a smile tugged at her lips while she said, "Every part where you were witty or clever."

When their interviewer chuckled at the response, Ruby scoffed.

"Ok, so you're saying that you willingly went out with someone _boring_ and dumb as a box of rocks?"

She _had_ Weiss there, and Weiss knew it - the realization flickered through her eyes before she rolled them and thought of a diversion.

"We have company, so I'll humor you." The subtle surrender preceded Weiss nodding towards their guest, who smiled and wrote another note in her journal.

"So that's how you met and started dating," she said to get them back on track. "And then you got married -"

"Actually, then we started the band, wrote some songs, got popular, started touring the world, Weiss told her dad to fuck off -"

"And _then_ we got married," Weiss concluded.

"Yeah, the 'pretty lead singer' thing wasn't working out so well for me," Ruby added with a playfully solemn shake of her head. "Had to lock her down before someone else did."

"Please." Weiss scoffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Like there was ever anyone else."

Grinning at the response, which made Ruby's heart warm with happiness, she leaned across the coffee table and lowered her voice. "See, she does this thing where she somehow insults you and compliments you at the same time -"

"I can hear you."

"Of course you can!" Leaning back with a big smile, Ruby wrapped her arm around Weiss' shoulders and kissed her cheek. "I, however, have some hearing problems since you _are_ a screamer."

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed before turning towards their guest. "She's not deaf - just dumb. Please don't listen to her."

"So you and your dad share _one_ opinion," Ruby teased before looking at their interviewer, who was either amused or surprised by the banter. "Her dad was the inspiration behind _Jacques Schnee Can Bite Me_."

"You don't say…"

"The day you wrote that song was the day I realized I wanted to marry you," Weiss admitted before giving Ruby a look filled with love. "Actually…" she added with a more thoughtful expression. "It was right before that - when you told him to go to 'rich people hell where there's only tap water and one-bedroom houses.'"

"And no golf carts," Ruby tagged on before grumbling under her breath, "Let's see his entitled ass carry his own damn clubs..."

When Weiss set a hand on her arm, however, she cheered right up. "Needless to say," she continued with a smile. "We're not his biggest fans. That's why we put up that billboard downtown - the one where we're making out while Weiss flips the bird."

"You got that because you're not his fan?"

"And because his office looks right at it," Weiss replied with a hardly concealed smile. She then gently curled her fingers through Ruby's hair and gave her a smile that still melted her heart after all these years. "That was one of the best ideas you've ever had. Well, that and asking me to join your 'band.'"

"Why do you still use air quotes?" Ruby whined. "It's your 'band' too, you know." When Weiss raised her brow, Ruby realized that _she_ just used air quotes and sighed. "God, you're so frustrating sometimes."

"I have to be. That's why you married me."

"I married you because you're _hot_ ," Ruby joked, only for Weiss to roll her eyes. "And you're smart and funny and sweet and whatever," Ruby added before turning back to the writer they'd invited into their home. "She's nicer than she looks. Usually to people who aren't me."

When the woman chuckled and set her pen in the middle of her notebook, Weiss set her hand on Ruby's leg and gave a gentle squeeze.

"Well, I think that's all the questions I have," the woman said before closing the notebook and leaning forward. "Unless there's anything else you'd like to add? To your fans or...to your father, I guess." When she nodded towards Weiss, Ruby lit up with an idea.

" _Yes_ -"

"No, thank you," Weiss interrupted with a gracious smile. "We'd just like to thank our fans for supporting us all this way. We wouldn't be here without them."

Weiss' decision to take the high road put a damper on Ruby's desire for some well-placed, highly-visible embarrassment. "Yeah," she agreed rather than pursue her original plans. "Ditto what she said."

Nodding at the response, which she probably heard at every single interview, the woman gathered up her few belongings and put everything back into her bag. "Thank you so much for speaking to me," she said while standing up. "And for inviting me into your lovely home."

"The pleasure was all ours." When Weiss stood to see the woman out, Ruby hopped to her feet and offered a wave as the front door closed. Once silence returned to the house, Weiss sighed and shook her head while returning to the living room.

"What message did you want to leave for my dad?"

"Oh, I dunno." Ruby grinned while wrapping her arms around Weiss' waist and tugging her close. "Something like 'Hey Father-in-Law! Bet you didn't know I did your daughter on your -"

"Ok," Weiss interrupted while covering Ruby's mouth with one hand to keep that secret locked away. "As much fun as that would be, I don't think the entire world needs to know."

"Like they're about to know that you're a screamer?"

"Why do you tell everyone that when _you're_ the screamer?"

"What?" At first, Ruby attempted to brush off the comment, but she dropped the facade when Weiss gave her a knowing look. "Alright, _maybe_. But I'm gonna need you to prove that."

"Give me three minutes and I will," Weiss replied with a smile that made Ruby shake her head.

"God, you're so cocky."

"You love it."

"And you."

With two words, they found themselves where they often did - staring into each other's eyes and smiling as if they still couldn't get enough of each other. After all the time they spent together, all the barbs they traded, all the concerts they played, and all the places they traveled...who would have thought that they still couldn't get enough?

"How do you do that…" Weiss eventually sighed while wrapping her arms around Ruby's neck and pulling them closer.

"Do what?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about …" Trailing off, Weiss reached up and played with Ruby's hair, like she did when she wanted a kiss but was unwilling to ask for one.

"It's my greatest skill," Ruby teased. But in actuality, she wasn't _doing_ anything at all. Just...being herself. Apparently, being a sarcastic, witty, stubborn fool made Weiss swoon.

"Hey," she added when another fabulous idea popped into her head. "What do you think about putting a new picture on that billboard?" With a growing smile, she leaned closer and watched Weiss' pupils dilate in anticipation. "Or maybe we can get a movie to play up there..."

"I love the way you think," Weiss replied with a smile reserved for Ruby, and Ruby alone. In the moment that followed, she brushed her fingers across Ruby's cheek and mulled over her response before adding, "And I love you."

The words made Ruby's heart swell with affection, and she quickly leaned forward to capture Weiss' lips in a kiss. Definitely not the first one they'd shared, or the second, or even the three thousandth, but it still reminded her of that first one on their very first date. They'd grown up so much since then, but they'd grown closer at the same time.

Most importantly, that 'band' idea of hers worked out. It worked out surprisingly well, actually. And believe her, she reminded Weiss of that constantly.


End file.
